THE 

LANDSCAPE  GARDENING 

BOOK 


GRACE  TABOR 


U  N 

or 


E>  RA  FLY 
OF   THE 
I  VER5ITY 

1  LLl  N015 


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Co  V.  2 


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The  person  charging  this  material  is  re- 
sponsible tor  Its  return  to  the  library  from 
which  It  was  withdrawn  on  or  before  the 
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UNIVERSITY    OF     ILLINOIS    LIBRARY    AT    URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


L161_O-1096 


THE 

LANDSCAPE 

GARDENING 

BOOK 


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THE 
LANDSCAPE  GARDENING 

BOOK 

V/HEREIN  ARE   SET   DOWN  THE   SIMPLE   LAWS   OF   BEAUTY 

AND    UTILITY    WHICH    SHOULD    GUIDE    THE 

DEVELOPMENT   OF   ALL   GROUNDS 

BY 

GRACE  TABOR 


JAN  n\^^^ 

UNIVERSITY  OF  m^. 


NEW  YORK 

McBRlDE,  WINSTON  &  COMPANY 

1911 


Copyright,     iqii.    bt 
McBRIDE.  WINSTON  &  CO. 


First    Edition 
Printed  April,  loii 


7  IZ 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Introduction i 

II.    Utilizing  Natural  Features 6 

III.  The  Style  of  a  Garden 29 

IV.  Getting  Into  a  Place 41 

V.    Vines  as  Harmonizers  5^ 

VI.    Vistas  Good  and  Bad 62 

VII.    Boundaries 73 

VIII.    Entrances  and  Gateways 80 

IX.    Deciduous  Trees 86 

X.    Evergreen  Trees 98 

XL    The  Use  of  Shrubs 107 

XII.    The  Place  of  Flowers 118 

XIII.  Winter  and  the  Garden 135 

XIV.  The  Vegetable  Garden  Beautiful 143 

XV.    Garden  Structures 15° 

XVI.    Garden  Furniture  and  Accessories 157 

XVII.    Planting  and  General  Care  164 

Index ^75 


List   of   Illustrations 


A  mountain  home  adapted  from  the  Swiss  ch&let,  in  Cahfomia 

Frontispiece 

FACING   FACE 

A  svunmer  home  and  its  garden  at  Saratoga,  N.  Y 2 

An  old  Salem  garden 3 

A  house  and  enclosed  garden  at  Cornish,  N.  H 4 

A  house  on  a  wooded  hillside,  Englewood,  N.  J 5 

The  lily-pond,  Arnold  Arboretum,  Boston,  Mass 20 

An  English  treatment  of  a  rocky  slope 21 

An  American  treatment  of  a  rocky  slope 26 

Stone  steps  in  a  Cornish,  N.  H.,  garden 27 

Nature's  shrubber}'  by  a  brookside 27 

The  Red  Rose  Inn  of  Stoke  Pogis,  near  Philadelphia 30 

An  old-fashioned  city  garden 30 

A  lajyn  spoiled  by  a  flower  bed 31 

An  old  English  garden  showing  the  extreme  of  complicated  bedding. .  .  31 

A  house  in  the  wildwood  left  to  Nature 38 

A  house  on  the  rocks  left  to  Nature 38 

Steps  and  fountain  in  the  garden  of  the  Villa  Lante 39 

Trees  and  columns  in  an  old  Italian  garden 39 

The  formal  entrance  to  an  estate 50 

The  informal  entrance  to  an  estate 50 

An  informal  entrance  path 51 

A  formal  entrance  path 51 

The  luxuriance  of  two  years'  growth 52 

Vines  from  within  a  pergola 53 

A  wall  trellis  supporting  climbers 53 

Four  of  the  best  house  vines 58 

An  vmpretentious  cottage  simply  treated,  Magnolia,  Mass 59 

Ham^ony  of  lines  in  a  widening  vista 62 

Harmony  of  lines  in  a  narrowing  vista 62 


PACING    PAGB 

A  screen  for  a  service  yard 63 

An  English  wall  boundary  with  flowers 68 

Marble  against  a  wall  of  green 68 

Flower  garden  secluded  by  an  evergreen  hedge 69 

A  spruce  hedge  properly  trimmed 69 

A  wooden  fence  with  arbor  gateway 74 

An  architectural  boundary  on  a  small  place 74 

A  lattice  enclosure  for  the  rose  garden 75 

Combinations  of  hedge  and  stone  wall 78 

A  boundary  at  the  top  of  a  grade 79 

A  landscape  boundary 79 

A  hedge  boundary  with  lych  gate  entrance 80 

An  entrance  flanked  by  poplars 81 

A  doorway  in  a  garden  wall 84 

A  board  fence  topped  by  a  lattice 84 

Fence  and  gate,  Longfellow  Home,  Cambridge,  Mass 85 

Arched  wooden  gateway  in  an  old  stone  wall 85 

A  "house" — and  a  "home" 86 

Birch  trees  on  a  lawn  and  in  the  wild 87 

An  Italian  effect  with  cedars 98 

Evergreens  along  a  drive 99 

A  planting  of  evergreens  in  the  curve  of  a  drive 99 

The  skyline  of  an  evergreen  group 100 

Natural  planting  of  young  hemlocks 100 

Old  conifers  sheltering  a  homestead loi 

Shrubbery  too  dense  along  the  base  of  a  house 106 

A  shrubbery  thicket  in  bloom 106 

Cymes  of  the  common  elder 107 

A  solitary  Deutzia 107 

A  shrubbery-  group  of  one  species  in  many  varieties no 

A  flowering  hedge I'o 

A  massing  of  trees  and  shrubs  creating  a  vista in 

Narcissus  naturalized  on  a  river  bank 120 

New  England  asters 120 

An  old-fashioned  flower  garden 121 

Lupines  in  a  border 128 


FACING    PAGB 

A  grass  walk  and  flower  border 129 

The  beauty  of  bare  branches 136 

Three  shrubs  with  attractive  berries 137 

Unpleasing  winter  protection 138 

The  Christmas  rose 138 

Winter's  test  of  the  garden 139 

Crocuses  in  the  snow 139 

An  inviting  entrance  to  a  vegetable  garden 142 

A  garden  of  vegetables 143 

Annuals  bordering  a  vegetable  garden  path 144 

The  charm  of  order  and  straight  edges 145 

An  old  garden  path  with  box  borders 145 

A  sim-dial  and  rose  arbor 150 

A  garden  shelter  mirrored  in  a  pool 151 

An  arbored  seat 151 

The  pergola  of  the  Capuchin  Monastery  at  Amalfi 154 

The  inspiration  for  the  pergola 155 

A  pool  among  trees 158 

A  seat  beneath  a  pine  tree 158 

A  well  furnished  garden 159 

A  bird  bath 159 

Rude  steps  and  urn  in  the  wild  garden 160 

A  herm  among  the  roses 160 

A  pair  of  garden  benches 161 

An  exedra  in  wood 161 

A  garden  retreat  with  carved  stone  seat  and  table 162 

A  pleached  alley 163 


CHAPTER  I 

Introduction 

GARDENS  do  not  happen.  A  Garden  is  as  much  the 
expression  of  an  idea  as  a  poem,  a  symphony,  an  essay — 
a  subway,  an  office-building  or  a  gown!  But  ordi- 
narily we  fail  to  recognize  this  until  the  actual  work  of  evolving 
a  garden  lies  before  us. 

And  even  then  the  truth  is  not  always  revealed,  as  witness  the 
imcertain  efforts  which  are  made — the  aimless  setting  of  things 
into  the  ground  here  and  moving  them  afterwards  to  there — 
the  lack  of  coordination  everywhere  evident  around  the  greater 
number  of  places. 

It  is  as  if  the  bricks  and  mortar  and  wood  which,  properly  com- 
bined, will  make  a  house,  were  assembled  on  the  ground  and  then 
arranged  by  the  builder  in  some  sort  of  way,  without  a  plan  or 
any  specifications  to  guide  him.  Something  would  result,  of 
course — but  who  cotild  foresee  the  form  of  that  something? 
Not  even  the  builder  himself  coiild  know  what  the  finished 
appearance  of  the  thing  which  he  was  constructing,  might  be. 
And  certainly  there  would  be  very  little  chance  of  such  a  dwell- 
ing— if  dwelling  it  proved  to  be — being  either  practical  or 
beautiful. 

The  analogy  is  extreme  perhaps,  yet  who  that  has  tried,  or  is 
trying,  to  develop  his  place,  and  has  felt  the  sense  of  bewildered 

(i) 


2  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

helplessness  which  sometimes  overwhelms  his  aspirations, 
will  say  that  it  is  exaggerated?  To  svicceed  in  only  having 
trees  and  shrubs  and  flowers  instead  of  a  Garden — is  it  not  a 
common  experience? 

Yet  a  Garden  is  what  we  all  want.  The  vague  disappointment 
in  an  effect,  the  feeling  of  incompleteness,  of  falling  short  of 
what  we  hoped  for  and  were  seeking  to  attain,  all  of  these  are  the 
indication  of  that  desire  for  a  definite  something — a  something 
so  subtle  that  to  express  it  in  words  often  eludes  us,  though 
we  may  feel  it  ever  so  keenly. 

Obser\dng  that  "  when  ages  grow  to  civility  and  elegancy, 
man  comes  to  build  stately  sooner  than  to  garden  finely ;  as  if 
gardening  were  the  greater  perfection,"  Bacon  went,  as  usual, 
straight  to  the  heart  of  the  matter.  For  gardening  is  the  greater 
perfection.  Distinguished  by  refined  subtleties  that  may  escape 
even  a  keen  perception,  it  is  probably  more  elusive  than  any 
other  art;  but  it  is  by  no  means  indefinite  nor  incapable  of 
analysis  on  this  account. 

That  we  fail  to  attempt  such  analysis  usually  comes  from  our 
failure  to  appreciate  the  necessity  for  it — from  lack  of  a  true 
conception  of  the  art.  But  without  such  analysis,  and  the  defi- 
nite understanding  which  it  brings,  it  will  rarely  happen  that 
even  the  most  enthusiastic  attempts  succeed. 

Suggestions  for  such  analysis  are  the  aim  of  this  volume — to 
help  in  Garden  Making  rather  than  in  gardening.  There  is  a 
vast  difference;  though  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  one  may 
do  the  former  without  learning  the  latter.  Many  books,  how- 
ever, which  deal  with  gardening  in  all  its  branches,  are  to  be  had 
for  the  asking.  Therefore  plant  culture  is  only  touched  upon  here. 
Indeed,  so  highly  specialized  a  subject  has  properly  no  place 
here,  demanding,  as  it  does,  volumes  devoted  to  it  alone. 


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Introduction  3 

The  arrangement  of  the  book  seeks  to  oflfer  means  for  the  solu- 
tion of  the  garden  maker's  problems  in  the  order  in  which  they 
present  themselves  to  him.  Each  of  these  is  analyzed  rather 
than  solved,  the  solution  being  obviously  something  which 
must  be  individually  decided  upon,  according  to  individual 
circumstances. 

The  standards  which  are  universally  acknowledged  by  the 
greatest  students  of  the  subject,  are  carefully  maintained,  and 
explained  and  accounted  for,  so  far  as  space  and  conditions  will 
permit.  Examples  are  given  to  suggest  the  manner  of  applying 
the  knowledge  which  analysis  furnishes. 

Lists  of  all  kinds  of  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers,  designed  to 
be  of  definite,  practical  value,  are  given.  To  this  end  they 
have  been  broken  up  into  groups  containing  only  a  few  of  each, 
the  arrangement  of  the  groups  being  made  with  a  view  to  their 
use  as  units.  Thus  the  wants  of  the  garden  maker  who  has 
room  for  only  a  handful  of  plants,  as  well  as  the  one  who  may 
do  work  on  a  forestry  scale,  are  met.  And  the  confusion  which 
besets  a  layman  upon  reading  over  the  names  of  fifty  desirable 
perennials — all  equally  desiralile,  to  judge  from  their  description 
— in  an  attempt  to  choose  something  to  plant  in  a  ten-foot 
border,  is  thus,  it  is  hoped,  avoided. 

The  lists  follow  each  chapter  and  are  complementary  to  the 
chapter,  as  far  as  it  is  possible  to  make  them  so.  That  they 
contain  all  the  desirable  plants  in  the  special  classes  which  they 
represent  is  of  course  not  claimed  for  them.  They  could  not, 
possibly,  and  keep  within  a  rational  limit.  That  they  contain 
the  most  desirable  plants  in  the  successive  classes,  some  will  no 
doubt  question;  for  many  favorites  are  indeed  omitted.  But 
that  they  comprise  a  wise  selection  for  the  actual  beginner  can 
hardly  be  denied — and  this  is  the  important  thing.     To  this 


4  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

standard  they  have  been  held,  and  by  it  they  have  been  tested, 
and  cut  down,  and  simphfied,  until  they  are  what  they  are. 

Many  native  flowers — "wild  flowers"  still,  some  of  them — 
are  included,  preference  being  given  to  these  wherever  conditions 
allow,  and  whenever  an  effect  will  be  equally  as  good  with  them. 
The  height  of  each  plant,  wherever  height  matters,  the  color  of 
its  flowers,  the  form  of  its  inflorescence,  and  the  time  of  bloom, 
are  given,  with  comments  based  on  each  plant's  native  habit,  on 
soil  and  other  features.  Suggestions  as  to  the  method  of 
planting  and  the  best  means  of  securing  the  plants  have  also 
been  made,  and  any  special  requirement  or  peculiarity  of  an 
individual  has  been  mentioned. 

To  the  end  that  all  of  this  matter  might  be  fully  presented, 
the  lists  have  not  been  arranged  in  tabular  form.  Botanical 
names  are  given  precedence  over  the  vernacular,  but  the  com- 
mon name  follows  closely  and  identifies  the  plant,  if  it  need 
identification.     The  index  includes  both. 

The  lists  and  the  diagrams  of  plantings  may  be  used  literally, 
or  they  may  be  used  as  suggestions  only.  Combinations  may 
be  formed  of  several  of  them,  for  extensive  plantings ;  or  one 
group  may  be  adapted  to  a  large  area  by  increasing  the  numbers 
of  each  kind  of  plant  which  it  contains.  Where  this  is  done  it 
is  better  to  increase  greatly  the  number  of  two  or  three  kinds 
and  let  them  dominate  the  group,  rather  than  to  increase  the 
number  of  each  kind  equally.  Those  marked  with  an  asterisk 
are  the  best  to  plant  in  greatest  number,  in  each  group.  Many 
of  a  few  kinds  are  always  better  than  many  kinds — and  constant 
restraint  is  necessary  in  planting,  else  the  lovely  simplicity  will 
be  lost,  and  the  beauty  of  line  and  mass  destroyed  completely. 

Go  slowly ;  practice  rigid  self-denial  in  the  matter  of  varieties ; 
learn,  by  stem  discipline,  resignation  to  the  tmalterable  fact  that 


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Introduction  5 

everything  will  not  go  into  one  garden.  When  this  is  learned, 
then — and  not  till  then — it  is  possible  to  go  cheerfully  ahead  in 
the  happy  task  of  making  the  most  out  of  what  may  be  put  there. 
And  then  the  Garden  Making  will  have  grown  to  be  a  joy. 


CHAPTER  II 
Utilizing  Natural  Features 

EVERY  plant  in  the  world  that  springs  up  naturally  in  any 
spot,  has  selected  that  partictilar  spot  because  it  finds 
there  the  conditions  of  light  and  air  and  moisture  best 
adapted  to  its  needs.  In  other  words,  you  will  find  that  every 
square  foot  of  soil  all  over  this  round  earth  is  covered  by  the 
vegetation  that  likes  that  particular  kind  of  soil  and  location — 
and  other  things  will  not  grow  there  without  a  struggle. 

Of  course  this  is  the  statement  of  a  perfectly  obvious  fact — 
yet  it  is  not  so  very  long  ago  that  the  owner  of  a  charming  coun- 
try home  complained  to  me  of  the  fruitlessness  of  all  his  efforts  to 
establish  a  smooth  and  conventional  lawn  at  one  side  of  his  house 
"because  water  would  settle  there  in  spite  of  all  that  he  could 
do. ' '  Subsequent  investigation  revealed  a  group  of  little  springs 
under  the  fine  old  trees — Nature's  marvelous  provision  for  a 
multitude  of  wild,  elusive  things  of  exquisite  beauty  which  defy 
domestication  in  the  ordinary  garden. 

He  gave  up  trying  to  defeat  Natiu-e's  purpose  by  filling  in 
what  he  had  always  regarded  as  a  miserable,  low,  wet,  soggy 
area  and,  taking  Nature's  hint,  he  now  has  a  lovely  and  unusual 
bit  of  garden  where  pitcher  plants,  orchids,  trilliums,  iris  and 
ferns  mingle  genially  with  other  less  familiar  bog-loving  things. 
The  whole  is  deftly  inclosed  and  hidden  from  the  outer  world  by 

(6) 


Natural  Features  7 

a  grouping  of  marshmallow  and  tall,  reedy  grasses ;  and  not  the 
least  of  the  joys  of  this  garden  is  its  startling  unexpectedness. 

All  of  which  points  a  moral,  does  it  not? — a  moral  that  leads 
to  a  certain  very  definite  rule,  which  I  would  urge  every  maker 
of  gardens,  actual  or  expectant,  to  learn  by  heart  and  deeply  to 
impress  upon  his  inner  mind.  Here  it  is,  briefly  and  simply: 
Plan  and  plant  a  garden  always  along  the  line  of  least  resistance. 

What  with  the  rain  when  it  ought  to  be  dry  and  the  drought 
when  it  ought  to  rain ;  the  slugs,  and  the  blights  of  varying  form 
but  unvarying  fatality ;  the  moths,  and  the  bugs,  and  the  beetles, 
and  the  borers,  and  all  the  other  unpleasant  things  which  lurk 
around,  determined  to  evade  the  wariest  and  the  wisest  of  those 
who  plant  either  for  pleasure  or  profit,  gardening  is  one  of  this 
life's  most  tantalizing  uncertainties,  the  best  way  we  can  fix  it. 
Therefore  we  owe  it  to  ourselves  and  to  the  patch  of  ground  we 
seek  to  beautify,  to  mitigate  this  unhappy  state  of  affairs  as  much 
as  lies  in  our  power — to  make  our  heads  save  our  hands  and  our 
backs,  and  incidentally  our  garden  hopes — by  teaching  us  to 
garden  according  to  Nature's  laws  instead  of  against  them. 

So  we  come  to  the  question  which  should  always  be  the  first 
consideration:  what  has  Nature  done  with  the  land  where  you 
are  going  to  build  your  garden?  Before  a  stone  or  brick  of  a 
building  is  laid  or  even  the  style  of  the  house  is  determined  upon, 
this  should  receive  attention;  for  on  a  property  of  any  size  at 
all  it  governs  not  only  the  kind  of  garden  one  is  to  have  but  also 
the  location  of  the  buildings  and  their  "kind." 

A  wild  garden  ought  not  to  be  actually  under  one's  windows, 
while  a  formal  garden  very  appropriately  may — and  the  set  of 
conditions  which  calls  for  the  former  imperatively,  will,  quite  as 
imperatively,  preclude  the  possibility  of  the  latter,  or  vice  versa, 
thus  affecting  the  position  of  both  house  and  garden.     Plan 


8       The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

therefore,  if  possible,  before  any  building  is  doney  both  the  house 
and  the  garden.  Take  every  natural  feature  and  peculiarity  of 
the  land,  topographical  or  otherwise,  into  consideration. 

Is  it  rocky  or  is  it  stony? — there  is  a  big  difference.  Is  it  wet 
or  dry?  Is  it  hilly  or  flat?  What  is  the  nature  of  its  soil? 
What  can  be  done  with  it  most  easily  and  simply?  What  is  the 
line  of  least  resistance? 

The  very  hopelessness  of  changing  things  where  great  boulders 
and  shelves  of  solid  rock  thrust  themselves  up  through  the  earth, 
prevents  the  possessors  of  such  land,  usually,  from  even  trying. 
They  are  convinced  from  the  beginning  that  nothing  will  grow 
there,  so  what  is  the  use  of  attempting  to  make  it  ?  That  is, 
they  are  likely  to  be  thus  convinced,  if  they  are  unfamiliar  with 
plants. 

There  are  a  great  many  things  that  will  grow  there,  however — 
not  what  is  seen  in  common  gardens  to  be  sure,  but  is  that  not 
in  their  favor?  Distinctly  rock-loving  plants  must  have  the 
conditions  which  they  like,  and  these  cannot  be  supplied  them 
everywhere.     You  are  fortunate  if  your  location  affords  them. 

Such  species  are  spoken  of  sometimes  as  "  alpines, "  but  this 
is  incorrect.  True  alpines  are  too  difficult  for  the  amateur  to 
attempt  to  grow,  as  they  are  at  home  only  above  the  line  where 
trees  and  shrubs  cease,  high  up  in  the  mountains.  Make  your 
selection  from  the  long  list  of  rock-loving  plants  that  do  not  need 
the  high  altitude — the  simple,  easily  grown,  hardy  and  charming 
things  which  almost  any  good  nursery  carries  in  stock.  These, 
with  suitable  ferns  and  mosses,  which  you  may  find  already 
growing  among  the  rocks,  will  supply  the  needs  of  such  a  situ- 
ation perfectly. 

The  arrangement  of  such  a  garden  should  of  course  conform 
to  Nature's  grouping;  there  should  be  no  attempt  at  precision, 


Natural  Features  9 

either  among  the  plants  or  in  the  walks  or  paths,  and  the  look  of 
extreme  tidiness  which  spoils  everything  but  the  most  formal 
plan,  should  be  avoided  like  the  plague.  Keep  out  the  weeds, 
but  do  not  trouble  about  stray  wildings  that  may  take  up  their 
abode  among  your  treasures.  There  is  as  much  beauty  in  com- 
mon toad-flax  as  there  is  in  many  highly  prized  aristocrats  of  the 
flowery  kingdom — and  long  feathery  grasses  are  more  in  keeping 
with  rock  or  wild  gardening  than  closely  cut,  trim  turf;  likewise 
edges  should  never  be  sharply  defined  nor  trimmed. 

Stony  land  requires  rather  more  consideration  in  the  planting 
than  in  the  planning,  and  is  therefore  to  be  considered  more 
especially  from  the  horticultural  point  of  view.  There  is  one 
thing  to  be  remembered  in  dealing  with  it,  however,  and  that  is 
that  any  attempt  at  formal  design  will  almost  certainly  result 
in  failure,  no  matter  how  carefully  it  may  be  planned.  The 
reason  for  this  is  that  the  stones  are  thicker  in  some  places  than 
in  others,  and  the  soil  cannot  conserve  moisture  equally  and 
evenly.  Consequently  the  plants  will  not  grow  at  an  even  rate — 
which  they  simply  must  do  in  a  formal  design.  Otherwise  the 
lines  and  the  proportions  will  soon  be  utterly  lost. 

Of  the  bog  garden  on  wet  land  I  have  already  spoken.  If 
there  is  so  much  water  that  it  lies  on  the  surface  constantly, 
it  is  better  to  dig  out  enough  earth  at  the  lowest  point  to  make 
a  pool,  even  though  it  is  a  very  small  one.  This  will  give  the 
birds  a  bathing  place,  besides  furnishing  an  opportunity  to  grow 
one  or  two  real  aquatics,  as  well  as  the  other  things  which  love 
dampness,  though  they  do  not  actually  live  in  water. 

If  this  pool  can  be  located  in  the  open  where  it  will  catch  the 
simlight,  have  it  there  by  all  means  rather  than  in  the  shade. 
A  shaded  bit  of  water  is  sometimes  gloomy  and  depressing,  but 
water  in  the  sunlight  has  just  the  opposite  effect — it  is  all  light 


lo      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

and  cheer — and  cheeriness  is  essential  to  the  success  of  any  sort 
of  garden. 

Stock  the  pool  with  a  few  goldfish — or  something  more  ordi- 
nary if  these  cannot  be  had — to  keep  the  mosquito  larvae  down ; 
and  you  will  have  a  garden  infinitely  more  interesting  than  the 
conventional  lawn  would  be,  at  much  less  than  it  would  cost, 
both  in  labor  and  money,  in  such  a  situation. 

Uncleared  land,  full  of  rank  underbrush  and  wild  growths,  is 
not  common,  because  one  of  the  first  things  that  an  up-to-date 
development  company  does  is  clear  away  every  scrap  of  growing 
thing.  Even  the  trees  are  not  always  spared.  But  now  and 
then  one  does  come  across  such  a  plot  and  it  is  a  great  piece 
of  good  fortune,  if  handled  properly. 

Leave  the  wild  growth  along  its  boundaries  and  let  it  form 
the  backing  for  whatever  shrubs  you  may  wish  to  plant,  instead 
of  mowing  down  and  digging  out  every  thing  on  the  place. 
Many  times  there  are  shrubs  which,  left  to  grow,  will  develop 
into  as  fine  specimens  as  anything  you  may  buy — and  the 
advantage  of  having  them  native  is  immense. 

Common  elder  is  much  used  in  shrubbery  borders  by  the  best 
landscape  architects,  also  simiach,  which  grows  so  freely  wild. 
Cornels  and  vibumimis  between  them  furnish  more — and  more 
pleasing — varieties  for  general  landscape  work  than  any  other 
two  species  in  the  world,  and  both  are  to  be  found  in  almost 
any  patch  of  woods  or  underbrush.  The  native  ivy  which  some 
call  Virginia  creeper  and  others  know  as  woodbine,  clambers 
about  luxuriantly  very  often,  over  all  the  rest. 

One  should,  of  course,  learn  to  distinguish  this  from  the 
noxious  poison  ivy,  before  venturing  to  handle  or  plant.  To 
the  casual  observer  they  resemble  each  other  very  much,  though, 
as  a  matter  of  fact  there  is  very  little  likeness  between  them. 


Natural  Features  ii 

The  creeper  has  five  leaflets  to  the  leaf — with  comparatively 
rare  exceptions— while  the  poisonous  plant  has  only  three. 
Avoid,  therefore,  all  tri-lobed  climbers.  The  creeper  is  a  charm- 
ing, graceftd  thing,  and  it  may  be  trained  over  anything  you  wish 
by  giving  its  twining  tendrils  something  to  cli:tch. 

Little  Jack-in-the-pulpits  spring  up  under  foot  in  such  a  place, 
and  often  there  are  lovely  ferns  hidden  away  under  the  rest, 
if  you  look  carefully  for  them.  Keep  the  character  of  a  spot  like 
this  unchanged  and  bring  in  wild  flowers  rather  than  the  usual 
garden  favorites.  And  here,  as  on  stony  ground,  make  no 
attempt  to  carry  out  formality  of  design.  Nothing  is  lovelier 
than  architectural  gardens,  in  their  own  distinct  and  proper 
place — but  luisuitably  placed  they  are  an  abomination. 

Even  a  very  gentle  slope  aff'ords  a  charming  variation  in  a 
garden,  while  a  hillside  is  a  fascinating  site  for  both  house  and 
garden.  Yet  not  infrequently,  with  the  former  at  least,  elabo- 
rate grading  is  resorted  to,  to  level  the  place  up ;  which  is  proof 
of  our  unhappy  bondage  to  a  conventionality  that  stifles  all 
original  ideas.  Unless  the  slope  is  so  steep  as  to  be  actually 
impassable,  not  a  particle  of  grading  is  necessary.  If  the  getting 
up  and  down  is  too  much  of  an  effort,  a  very  little  cutting  and 
filling  will  break  it  into  terraces,  which  not  only  make  every 
part  accessible  but  also  give  a  succession  of  levels,  along  which 
walks  may  be  carried  from  which  to  view  the  whole. 

Where  this  plan  is  adopted  bear  in  mind  that  the  entire  gar- 
den, whether  seen  from  above  or  below,  is  seen  at  once,  unless 
screens  of  planting  are  introduced.  The  design  may  be  formal 
or  not,  according  to  outlying  conditions,  the  style  of  the  dwelling, 
the  owner's  taste,  and  the  evenness  of  the  slope.  But  land  which 
descends  sharply  at  one  point  and  slopes  off  gradually  at  others 
is  obviously  not  ready-made  for  an  architectural  design  to  be 


12  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

carried  out  upon  it ;  therefore  the  line  of  least  resistance  takes 
us  to  the  informal,  rambling,  quaint,  and  unexpected  upon 
such  a  site. 

On  the  other  hand,  an  even,  smooth  slope  seems  to  demand 
the  classic  treatment;  but  the  house  in  this  case  must  conform 
to  classic  standards  as  well,  else  the  place  is  in  danger  of  becoming 
a  ludicrous  anomaly.  This  does  not  necessarily  mean  a  dwell- 
ing patterned  after  an  Italian  palace,  however.  The  simple  old 
white  houses  of  New  England  are  classics  quite  as  truly  as  any 
Grecian  temple — and  in  the  midst  of  their  prim,  old,  box-bor- 
dered little  gardens,  they  present  far  saner  and  safer  models  for 
us  generally,  than  those  which  many  are  too  prone  to  follow. 

Where  the  environment  of  a  place  is  that  of  the  usual  suburb, 
and  the  house  is  not  distinctly  unusual,  some  adherence  to 
formal  lines  is  better  than  utter  disregard  of  them.  Formal 
lines  afford  a  transition  from  the  work  of  Nature  to  the  work  of 
man  which  harmonizes  the  two;  and  they  may  be  restricted  to 
the  most  limited  area  without  loss  to  the  design.  Attempts  at 
broad,  sweeping  lines  in  the  planning  of  a  typical  suburban 
place  are  a  great  mistake,  under  any  but  exceptional  circum- 
stances. 

Park-like  effects  require  acres  where  the  suburban  plot  meas- 
ures square  yards.  Efforts  to  secure  such  effects  within  such 
limits  only  result  in  making  a  place  seem  smaller  than  it  actually 
is.  Boundaries  and  corners  may  be  somewhat  thickly  and 
irregularly  planted,  but  along  the  approaches  to  the  house 
regularity  should  rule,  whether  it  be  a  turf  edge,  a  row  of  flower- 
ing shrubs,  or  a  border  of  perennials. 

Not  many  places,  perhaps,  have  the  features  that  have  been 
here  dwelt  upon — features  that  are  commonly  held  to  be  distinct 
disadvantages,  and  which  sometimes  lead  to  the  rejection  of  land 


Natural  Features  13 

because  they  are  present — yet  natural  variations  in  even  small 
plots  are  not  uncommon.  No  matter  what  these  may  be,  be 
sure  that  they  are  never  a  disadvantage  if  you  are  willing  to  study 
them  a  little,  and  think  and  plan.  They  mean  an  individuality 
for  the  place,  if  they  are  carefully  made  its  motif,  which  can  never 
be  achieved  by  the  most  cunningly  contrived  artificial  means. 

Lists  of  Plants 

Rocky  Land 

This  list  includes  plants  which  may  be  used  where  natural 
ledges  of  rock  project  through  the  earth  and  the  soil  is  thin ;  or 
where  similar  conditions  have  been  artificially  created.  They 
are  what  are  commonly  termed  "  rock  garden  plants.  "  Special 
pockets  of  soil  may  be  prepared  for  special  requirements,  under 
the  latter  circumstances  particularly;  but  where  the  natural 
condition  exists  it  is  seldom  necessary  to  alter  the  soil.  Plants 
are  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  flowering.  Those  marked  with 
an  asterisk  should  be  planted  the  more  freely. 

IN    FULL    SUN 

I — Arabis  albida:  rock  cress;  four  inches  high ;  adaptable  to  any 
dry  soil ;  dense  green  carpet-like  growth ;  masses  of  small, 
white  flowers ;  fragrant ;  may  be  raised  from  seed,  sown  and 
transplanted,  or  sown  where  it  is  to  grow;  blossoms  in 
April  and  May. 

*2 — Papaver  nudicaule:  Iceland  poppy;  twelve  inches  high; 
light,  loamy  soil,  fairly  rich;  foliage  at  the  ground,  the 
flowers  raised  on  straight,  leafless,  wiry  stems;  colors  clear 
yellow,  orange,  and  also  a  white;  grown  easily  from  seed, 
which  must  be  sown  where  the  plants  are  to  stand,  as  pop- 


14  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

pies  do  not  transplant  successfully ;  may  not  bloom  until  the 
second  year  unless  sown  very  early;  blossoms  in  May  and, 
if  cut  freely,  on  to  October. 

3 — Helianthemum  vulgare  (or  H.  mutabile—this  is  a  variety  of 
vulgare  and  the  name  most  commonly  found  in  catalogues) : 
rock  rose  or  sun  rose;  six  inches  high;  will  thrive  in  poor 
soil  but  should  be  planted  in  a  protected  place,  with  south- 
em  exposure;  growth  is  nearly  evergreen,  forming  thick 
mats;  profusion  of  flowers,  yellow  in  vulgare,  pink  and 
pinkish  white  in  mutabile;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  hot 
weather — usually  June  or  July. 

4 — Geranium  sangnineum:  cranesbill;  eighteen  inches  high; 
ordinary  soil ;  erect -growing,  branched  plant,  foliage  attrac- 
tive and  loose ;  single,  large  crimson  flowers ;  may  be  raised 
from  seed,  sown  outdoors;  easy  to  naturalize;  blossoms 
from  June  to  August. 

+5 — Sedum  Sieholdii:  stonecrop;  six  to  ten  inches  high;  sandy 
soil,  which  must  surely  be  dry  in  winter;  branches  growing 
up,  then  curving  downward;  the  round  leaves  are  bluish 
with  a  rosy  tint  at  the  margins ;  flowers  rose-colored ;  may  be 
raised  from  seed  but  it  is  better  to  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in 
August. 

6-^Silene  maritima,  flora  plena:  seaside  catchfly,  double-flow- 
ered; trailing,  and  must  be  planted  where  its  stems  may 
hang  over  a  ledge  of  rock;  ordinary  sandy  loam;  white 
flowers  which  weight  the  branches  down;  this  does  not 
produce  seed,  therefore  it  is  necessary  to  buy  the  plants; 
blossoms  in  July  and  on. 


Natural  Features  15 

IN    SHADE 

I — Camptosorus  rhizophyllus:  walking-leaf  fern;  fronds  four  to 
eight  inches  long,  evergreen,  growing  in  tiofts  and  taking 
root  at  the  tips  when  they  touch  the  ground ;  requires  black 
soil  made  of  leaf  mold,  and  a  place  at  the  margin  of  rocks 
which  are  always  shaded;  buy  clumps. 

2 — Saxafraga  Virginiensis:  rockfoil;  four  to  ten  inches  high; 
dry  soil  in  a  cool,  shady  place,  where  the  intense  heat  and 
drought  of  svunmer  cannot  reach;  foliage  low  and  rosette- 
like; cymes  of  many  small  white  flowers;  buy  plants; 
blossoms  in  April. 

3 — Mitella  diphylla:  bishop's  cap  or  mitrewort;  six  to  eight 
inches  high;  soil  of  rich  woods;  delicate  white  flowers  in 
slender  racemes ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  May. 

*4 — Gentiana  acauUs:  stemless  gentian;  four  inches  high;  likes 
a  deep  soil,  quantities  of  moistvire  with  thorough  drainage 
and  a  cool  location ;  crushed  granite,  rich  loam,  and  meadow 
soil  in  equal  parts  make  up  a  compost  for  it ;  clear  dark  blue 
flowers — the  celebrated  gentian  of  the  Alps;  plants  are 
obtainable  but  they  are  likely  not  to  live  as  they  seem  to 
resent  transplanting;  may  be  raised  from  seed  indoors  and 
transplanted  when  very  tiny;  it  requires  patience  as  the 
seeds  sometimes  are  a  year  in  germinating,  but  when  once 
established  this  is  a  very  permanent  thing,  and  a  deUght; 
blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

*5 — Galax  aphylla:  coltsfoot  or  beetle- weed;  six  to  twelve 
inches  high;  soil  of  humus  and  leaf  mold,  in  a  northern 
aspect,  cool,  moist  and  shady;  leaves  shining  and  leathery, 
heart-shaped,  evergreen,  coloring  to  beautiful  bronzes  and 
reds  in  winter;    wands  of  delicate  white  flowers,  lifted  on 


i6  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

leafless  stems  well  above  the  plant;    buy  plants;  blossoms 
in  July. 

*6 — Campanula  rotundijolia:  true  harebell  or  bluebell;  twelve 
inches  high;  any  fair  soil  in  a  rock  crevice  that  is  well 
drained;  bright  blue  flowers;  easily  raised  from  seed,  sown 
indoors  in  early  spring  and  transplanted;  blossoms  in  Jvily 
and  August. 

SHRUBS 

*i — Rhus  aromatica:  fragrant  sumach;  usually  about  three  feet 
high  but  sometimes  reaching  eight  feet ;  any  soil ;  especially 
good  for  dry  and  rocky  banks,  in  sun  or  shade;  yellow 
flowers  in  clusters  on  short  spikes;  fruit  coral-red;  buy 
plants;  blossoms  in  spring  before  the  leaves  appear. 

*2 — Arctostaphylos  Uva-Ursi:  bearberry;  prostrate,  forming  a 
mass  two  feet  in  thickness ;  well  drained  light  loam  or  sandy 
soil,  on  rocks  and  banks;  evergreen;  flowers  small,  white, 
in  terminal  clusters;  red  berries  follow;  buy  plants;  blos- 
soms in  May. 

3 — Comptonia  asplenijolia  (or  C.  peregrina) :  sweet  fern ;  one 
to  three  feet  high;  sterile,  dry  soil,  among  rocks;  foliage 
fern-like  and  fragrant;  buy  plants;  brown  catkins  of  incon- 
spicuous flowers  in  May  and  June. 

*4 — Daphne  Cneorum:  garland  flower;  trailing,  forming  a  mass 
twelve  inches  in  thickness;  light  and  well  drained  soil,  in 
partial  shade  or  all  sun ;  leaves  small,  glossy  and  evergreen ; 
many  clusters  of  small  pink  flowers,  very  fragrant;  buy 
plants;  blossoms  in  early  May  and  at  intervals  through 
summer. 

5 — Hypericum  prolificum:  St.  John's  wort;  three  feet  high; 
sandy  or  rocky  soil,  aU  or  partly  shaded;  stout  and  dense. 


Natural  Features  17 

leaves  glossy  and  dark  green;  yellow  flowers  in  profusion, 
in  cymes;  buy  plants,-  blossoms  in  July  and  on  to  Septem- 
ber. 
6 — Juniperus  Sahina,  prostrata:  prostrate  juniper  or  cedar; 
eighteen  inches  to  three  feet  high,  prostrate  branches;  dry 
rocky  or  gravelly  soil  will  do  though  a  fairly  moist  sandy 
loam  is  preferred,  in  a  sunny  and  open  situation;  usually 
the  branches  are  long  and  trailing,  and  numerously  branched ; 
evergreen  foliage,  bluish-green;  buy  plants. 

Stony  Land 
Some  of  the  plants  listed  here  are  useful  in  rock  gardening 
also;  but  the  distinction  here  made  between  stony  land  and 
rocky  land  is  such  that  they  fall  naturally  under  this  head. 
Stony  land  means  earth  which  has  been  deposited  under  glacial 
action  and  is  full  of  boulders  and  round  stones.  It  is  sometimes 
dry  and  sometimes  quite  moist;  not  infrequently  springs 
abound;  it  is  usually  well  drained  however,  owing  to  the  pres- 
ence in  it  of  so  much  loose  matter. 

IN    FULL    SUN 

I — Dicksonia  punctiloba:  hay-scented  or  gossamer  fern;  one  to 
two  feet  high ;  dry  soil  or  moist  soil  well  drained ;  delightful 
when  massed  in  open  places,  the  plants  set  eight  inches 
apart ;  buy  plants  or  clumps. 

2 — Phlox  subulata:  creeping  phlox,  grovmd  or  moss  pink;  four 
to  six  inches  thick,  creeping,  tufted  and  forming  dense  mats ; 
dry  and  sandy  banks,  up  to  and  around  stones  and  boulders; 
perfect  ground  cover,  moss-like  in  effect;  sheets  of  white 
and  rosy  red  flowers — the  white  form,  shaded  to  pink,  is  the 
best;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  May. 


i8  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

*3 — Aquilegia  chrysaniha:  golden-spurred  columbine ;  three  feet 
high;  sandy,  moist,  well  drained  soil;  many  and  large 
flowers,  yellow  tinted  with  deep  red;  may  be  raised  from 
seed  easily;  blossoms  in  May  or  June  and  remains  long  in 
flower. 

4 — Saponaria  ocymoides:  soapwort;  six  to  nine  inches  high, 
trailing ;  easily  established  in  any  soil ;  loose  cymes  of  bright 
pink  flowers ;  seeds  or  plants ;  blossoms  in  June. 

*5 — Asclepias  tuber osa:  swallow  wort,  pleurisy  root  or  butterfly 
weed;  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  high;  any  well  drained 
soil;  is  a  member  of  the  milkweed  family;  bright  orange 
flowers,  in  numerous  umbels;  plants  or  seed;  blossoms  in 
July  and  Augtist. 

*6 — Liatris  pycnostachya:  prairie  or  Kansas  gayfeather;  three  to 
five  feet  high;  any  soil,  even  very  poor;  long  dense  spikes 
of  purple-red  flowers;  raise  from  seed,  sown  in  the  autumn 
early  enough  for  plants  to  get  a  start  before  frost;  blos- 
soms in  August  and  September. 

IN    SHADE 

*i — Anemone  nemorosa:  wood  anemone;  four  inches  high;  rich, 
well  drained,  sandy  loam ;  single  white  flowers  tinged  with 
pvirple;  will  not  mind  some  sun;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in 
April  and  May. 

2 — Sanguinea  Canadensis:  bloodroot;  six  inches  high;  light 
rich  soil;  solitary  white,  pink-tinged  flowers,  one  to  two 
inches  across;  will  stand  sunlight;  buy  plants;  blossoms 
in  April  and  May. 

3 — Dodocatheon  media:  shooting  star,  American  cowslip  or 
American  cyclamen;  twelve  to  twenty-four  inches  high; 
open,  moderately  rich  soil,  not  dry  but  well  drained  and 


Natural  Features  19 

cool;  leaves  clustered  at  the  ground,  flower  stem  erect; 
flowers  rose  and  white,  in  loose  umbels;  leaves  die  down 
after  flowering  season  is  over;  plant  maiden-hair  fern — 
Adiantum  pedatum — or  wild  ginger — Asaruni  Canadense — 
between  and  among  the  plants  of  Dodocatheon,  to  take  the 
place  of  its  short-lived  foliage ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  May 
and  June. 

4 — Sniilacena  racemosa:  false  Solomon's  seal;  eighteen  inches 
to  three  feet  high;  moist  loamy  soil;  stems  rise  from  the 
■  ground,  are  not  branched,  and  the  plant  is  flexible  and  pliant, 
making  a  graceful  mass  when  planted  in  numbers;  white 
flowers  clustered  in  panicles  along  the  stems  with  the  leaves ; 
blossoms  in  June  and  July. 

*5 — Sedum  spectabile:  showy  sedum  or  stonecrop;  eighteen 
to  twenty-four  inches  high;  said  to  prefer  a  rather  heavy 
soil  but  this  is  not  essential,  though  good  drainage  is;  rose- 
piirple  flowers  in  broad,  flat  cymes;  buy  plants;  blossoms 
in  August  and  remains  in  bloom  until  October. 

*6 — Aster  corymbosus:  native  wild  aster;  two  feet  high;  dry 
rock  soil ;  loose  corymbs  of  characteristic  small  white 
flowers;  may  be  raised  from  seed  readily;  blossoms  from 
August  on  to  frost. 

Shrubs  for  Uncleared  Land 
This  hst  gives  the  careless  forms  of  native  growth  which  will 
harmonize  with  the  character  of  rough  land,  and  with  the  natural 
growth  allowed  to  remain  as  a  backing  for  the  planting.     These 
may  also  be  used  in  stony  localities. 

I — Amelanchier  Canadensis:  common  shadbush,  Juneberry  or 
service  berry;  tree-like,  fifteen  to  thirty  feet  high;  white 
flowers  in  loose  clusters;  fruits  in  June,  sweet  and  edible; 


20  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

buy  plants;  blossoms  very  early  in  the  spring,  sometimes 
before  the  leaves  appear — usually  early  April. 
*2 — Berberis  vulgaris:  common  barberry;  from  four  to  eight 
feet  high;  many  small,  bell-like,  bright  yellow  flowers, 
pendant  along  the  branches;  frviit  abundant,  bright  red, 
ornamenting  the  bush  during  much  of  the  winter;  blossoms 
in  May  and  June. 

(This  is  not  native  but  has  escaped  and  is  naturalized  in 
the  east.) 

*3 — Viburnum  opulus :  highbush cranberry ;  twelve  feet  high;  tiny 
white  flowers  in  cymes  four  inches  in  diameter;  fruits  scarlet, 
remaining  all  winter ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

4 — Sanibucus  Canadensis:  common  elder;  twelve  feet  high; 
flowers  white,  in  large  flat  cymes,  very  fragrant ;  fruit  is 
ornamental  and  useful;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  July. 

5 — Rhus  glabra:  smooth  sumac;  ten  to  twelve  feet  high ;  flowers 
greenish-pink,  in  characteristic  terminal  panicles ;  foliage  a 
gorgeous  color  in  autumn;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  July. 

♦6 — Clethra  alnifolia:  sweet  pepperbush;  eight  to  ten  feet  high; 
likes  a  moist  sandy  soil;  white  flowers  in  erect,  pyramidal 
spikes ;  very  fragrant ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  August  and 
late  summer. 

Bog  Land 

Wet,  marshy  spots  where  water  settles,  or  where  springs  are 
numerous,  is  the  sort  of  land  referred  to  here.  The  banks  of 
lakes  often  present  the  same  conditions.  Peat  bogs  are  rich  in 
the  decomposing  mosses  which  flourish  there;  for  this  reason 
they  are  somewhat  different  from  ordinary  bog  land,  and  plants 
which  are  native  to  them  are  especially  mentioned  as  peat  bog 
dwellers. 


Natural  Features  21 

IN    FULL    SUN 

I — Hellonias  hullata:  swamp  or  stud  pink;  leaves  clustered  at 
ground;  flower  stalk  eighteen  to  twenty -four  inches  high; 
flowers  in  three-inch  racemes,  pink  or  purple ;  grows  in  both 
sun  and  shade  but  always  in  wet  bog  earth  when  in  the  sun ; 
it  may  be  used  in  drier  situations  in  the  shade ;  buy  plants ; 
blossoms  in  April  and  May. 

*2 — Iris  pseudacorus :  yellow  iris;  two  feet  high;  any  marsh  soil ; 
foliage  showy;  flowers  large,  bright  yellow;  plants  or  roots, 
only;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

3 — Sarracenia  purpurea:  pitcher  plant;  flower  stalk  six  to 
eighteen  inches  high;  leaves  erect,  six  to  twelve  inches  long, 
deep  purple;  peat  bog  land;  flowers  large,  purple;  plants 
only;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

4 — Osniunda  regalis:  royal  fern;  may  be  planted  imder  two  or 
three  inches  of  still  water,  setting  the  plants  so  that  the 
crowns  are  just  above  water;  plant  two  to  three  feet 
apart  where  many  are  used;  fronds  two  to  six  feet  high; 
will  bear  partial  shade. 

*5 — Lobelia  cardinalis:  cardinal  flower;  two  to  four  feet  high; 
wet  places,  along  the  borders  of  pond  or  brook,  or  in  water 
two  to  three  inches  deep;  scarlet  flowers  in  large,  showy, 
close,  terminal  spikes ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  July  and  on 
to  September. 

*6 — Hibiscus  Moscheutos:  swamp  rose  mallow  or  marsh  mallow; 
three  to  five  feet  high ;  along  streams  or  in  marsh  land  any- 
where— even  salt  marsh ;  large  rose-pink  flowers  in  profusion ; 
buy  plants;  blossoms  in  August  and  September. 

IN    SHADE 

*i — Caltha  palustris:  marsh  marigold ;  ten  to  fifteen  inches  high; 
may  be  planted  at  edge  of  stream,  in  bog,  or  in  water  two 


22  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

to  four  inches  deep ;  flowers  bright  golden-yellow,  sometimes 
two  inches  across ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  spring  and  on  to 
June. 

*2 — Cypripedinin  spectahile:  showy  lady's  slipper  (a  native 
orchid);  two  feet  high;  flowers  white  and  rose-purple; 
buy  plants;  blossoms  in  Jvme. 

3 — Calopogon  pidchellus:  native  orchid;  twelve  to  eighteen 
inches  high;  at  edge  of  bog;  flowers  pink-purple,  at  ends 
of  leafless  stems;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  June  and  July. 

4 — Veratrum  viride:  Indian  poke  or  native  white  hellebore; 
two  to  five  feet ;  moist  or  wet  black  peat  soil ;  flowers  small, 
yellowish-green;  foliage  effect  is  its  especial  feature;  buy 
plants;  blossoms  in  July. 

5 — Habeneria  ciliaris:  yellow  fringed  orchid ;  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  inches  high;  spike  of  brilliant  yellow  flowers,  borne 
at  the  top;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  August. 

♦6 — Gentiana  Andrewsii:  closed  or  bottle  gentian;  eighteen 
to  twenty-four  inches  high ;  rich,  deep,  stony  soil,  along  the 
banks  of  stream  or  pool;  flowers  bright  blue,  closed;  buy 
plants;  blossoms  in  August  or  September. 

Shrubs 

I — Pyrus  arbutijolia  (or  Sorhns  arhutijoUa):  red  chokeberry; 
four  feet  high  and  up;  damp  thickets  and  swamps;  flowers 
white,  tinged  with  red,  in  corymbs;  red  and  ornamental 
fruits  follow;   buy  plants;  blossoms  in  April  and  May. 

*2 — Ledum  latifolium:  Labrador  tea;  two  to  three  feet  high; 
swampy  places,  sandy  and  peaty  soil,  sun  or  part  shade; 
clusters  of  white  flowers;  evergreen — the  leaves  are  said 
to  have  been  used  during  the  Revolutionary  War  for  tea, 
hence  the  name ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 


Natural  Features  23 

*3 — Rosa  Carolina:  wild  rose;  eight  feet  high,  slender  and  up- 
right; swampy  and  moist  ground;  flowers  single,  pink,  in 
clusters  sometimes,  two  inches  in  diameter;  buy  plants; 
blossoms  in  June  on  to  August. 

4 — Ilex  verticillata:  black  alder  or  winterberry;  eight  feet  high 
or  more;  wet  places  and  swamps,  though  it  grows  elsewhere 
also ;  flowers  tiny  and  unimportant ;  scarlet  fruits  remain  on 
all  winter;  buy  plants;  plant  one  staminate  plant  to  a  group, 
specifying  that  all  the  others  shall  be  the  pistillate  or  fruit- 
ing form ;  set  the  former  in  the  midst  of  the  latter ;  blossoms 
in  June  and  July. 

5 — Azalea  viscosa:  clammy  azalea  or  white  swamp  honey- 
suckle; four  to  eight  feet  high;  at  home  in  sandy  swamps; 
flowers  white,  tinged  with  red,  not  large  but  abundant  and 
very  fragrant ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  June  and  July. 

*6 — Cephalanthus  occidentalis :  buttonbush;  four  to  twelve  feet 
high;  sandy  moist  soil  or  marsh;  foliage  glossy;  tiny  white 
flowers  in  perfect  balls ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  July  and  on. 

Aquatics 

Water  plants  for  the  pool  or  stream  which  is,  perhaps,  the 

heart  of  a  bog.     These  are  hardy  and  may  remain  out  all  the 

year  around,  if  they  are  planted  below  the  frost  line — that  is  if 

their  crowns  are  below  it.     Plantings  of  these  may  be  made  by 

pushing  the  roots  into  the  mud,  or  by  tying  a  stone  to  them  and 

throwing  them  out  into  a  pond  or  pool,  if  the  depth  is  too  great 

to  allow  of  the  other  method.     These  always  require  full  sun. 

I — Peltandra  Virginica:  water  arum;  plant  twelve  inches  deep 

in  the  mud,  under  water  one  foot  deep,  near  the  margin  of 

the  pond ;  leaves  four  to  six  inches  long,  raised  twelve  inches 

above  the  water    suggest  the  leaves  of  a  calla;   flowers 


24  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

greenish  and  curious;  buy  plants;  use  from  one  to  three 
plants  for  a  clump ;  blossoms  in  Jime. 

2 — NymphcBa  odorata:  common  sweet  water  lily;  floating; 
flowers  white  and  very  fragrant,  open  for  three  days,  from 
sunrise  tmtil  noon;  buy  roots;  plant  in  quantity,  eighteen 
inches  apart;  plant  from  April  to  September,  by  pushing 
the  root  into  the  soft  mud  luitil  it  is  covered;  one  foot  of 
water  over  it  is  enough  at  first;  when  one  or  two  floating 
leaves  appear  this  may  be  gradually  deepened  in  artificial 
pools;  when  planting  in  a  pond  or  large  body  of  water,  tie 
roots  to  a  stone  as  suggested;  blossoms  in  June  and  on  to 
September. 

*3 — Limnanthemum  lacemosum:  floating  heart;  may  be  planted 
in  still  water  five  feet  deep,  though  two  feet  is  better; 
creeps  or  floats  on  water  surface ;  foliage  mottled  and  attrac- 
tive ;  yellowish- white  flowers  are  abundant,  small  and  dainty ; 
plant  in  colonies;  buy  plants  or  roots;  blossoms  in  July 
and  August. 

4 — Brasenia  peltata:  water  shield;  plant  in  from  two  to  six  feet 
of  water ;  floating ;  greenish  and  purplish  leaves  two  to  three 
inches  across — useful  for  variety  in  foliage  effect;  flowers 
inconspicuous,  dull  purple,  at  surface  of  the  water;  blossoms 
in  June  and  August. 

5 — Po-ndeteria  cordata:  pickerel  weed;  rises  eight  to  twelve 
inches  above  the  water  surface;  grows  in  still  or  slightly 
moving  water  about  one  foot  deep;  flowers  blue,  small,  in 
dense,  short  spikes;  buy  plants  and  plant  in  colonies; 
blossoms  in  July  and  September. 

*6 — Nymphcea  pygmcea  (N.  tetragona) :  dwarf  water  lily ;  floating ; 
leaves  dark  green  with  brown  blotches ;  flowers  white,  one 
to  one  and  one-half  inches  across,  freely  produced,  open  for 


Natural  Features  25 

three  or  four  days,  from  noon  until  sunset ;  buy  roots ;  plant 
as  directed  for  Nymphcsa  odorata,  using  many  roots  for  a 
colony,  as  this  does  not  spread  at  the  root ;  blossoms  in  July, 
August  and  September. 
Submerged  aquatics  (these  should  always  be  used  to  aerate 

the  water  in  still  ponds): 

I — Anacharis  Canadensis,  gigantea:  giant  water  weed,  water 
thyme,  or  ditch  moss;  rank  grower  but  may  be  pulled  out 
and  used  as  a  fertilizer  if  it  crowds  too  much ;  useful  also  in 
aquariums. 

2 — Cabomba  viridijolia:  Washington  grass;  fan-shaped,  glossy 
green  leaves ;  plant  by  tying  a  clump  together  and  weight- 
ing ;  this  is  not  certainly  hardy  in  the  north,  except  in  well 
protected  ponds;  it  may  be  kept  from  season  to  season 
however  by  bringing  a  clump  into  the  aquariiim  in  autumn. 

The  Average  Place 

The  garden  flowers  and  the  shrubs  which  adapt  themselves  to 
all  ordinary  situations. 

IN    FULL    SUN 

I — Dianthus  barbatus:  sweet  William;  eighteen  to  twenty -four 
inches  high;  flower  heads  in  mixed  colors,  from  white  to 
pink  and  deep  red,  or  it  maybe  had  in  pure  colors;  seeds 
or  plants;  use  in  masses;  blossoms  in  May  and  Jtme. 

*2 — Iris  Florentina:  "orris  root"  iris;  two  feet  high;  flowers 
white;  large,  fragrant  and  lasting;  buy  plants  or  clumps; 
use  singly  or  in  groups ;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

*3 — Delphinium,  "gold  medal  hybrids";  hardy  larkspur;  four 
to  seven  or  eight  feet  high ;  blue  flowers  in  spikes  sometimes 
two  feet  long;  buy  plants;  group;  set  out  in  October  or  as 


26      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

soon  as  warm  enough  in  spring;  stake  when  they  reach  a 
height  of  three  feet ;  blossom  in  June,  but,  by  cutting  down 
after  each  crop  has  faded,  they  may  be  carried  on  through 
September. 

4 — Hesperis  matronalis,  alba:  dame's  rocket  or  damask  violet; 
white ;  two  feet  to  thirty  inches  high ;  white  flowers,  clustered 
in  pyramidal  spikes ;  very  fragrant  at  night ;  plants  or  seeds ; 
group;  blossoms  as  early  as  June  sometimes,  and  on  into 
August. 

*5 — Anemone  Japonica,  "  Qneen  Charlotte";  Japanese  wind- 
flower;  two  to  three  feet  high;  flowers  large  and  semidouble, 
silvery  pink ;  buy  plants ;  masses  of  from  twenty  up ;  blos- 
soms early  in  August  and  on  until  frost. 

6 — Chrysanthemum — hardy  pompon  varieties;  two  to  three  feet 
high;  flowers  small,  double,  button-like,  in  white  and  all 
shades  of  yellow  and  red  to  bronze ;  plants  about  three  feet 
in  diameter ;  may  be  massed  or  planted  singly ;  buy  plants ; 
blossoms  early  in  August  and  on  until  after  hard  frost. 

IN    SHADE 

I — Actcea  alba:  white  baneberry ;  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches 
high;  likes  a  rich  soil;  white  flowers  in  clusters;  buy  plants; 
groups  of  six  or  more ;  blossoms  as  early  as  April  sometimes. 

*2 — Cornus  Canadensis:  bunchberry;  six  to  ten  inches  high; 
greenish-white  flower  followed  by  scarlet  berries  in  a  close 
bunch;  buy  plants;  group  in  masses  of  twelve  or  more; 
blossoms  in  May. 

*3 — HemerocalUs  Thunbergii:  lemon  day  lily;  twenty-four  to 
thirty  inches  high;  likes  a  moist  soil  but  will  do  as  well 
almost  anywhere  else ;  bears  sun  perfectly  but  may  be  more 


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The    abrupt  transition   from    one   level   to  another    may  be  made   the 
occasion  for  structural  work  that  in  itself  adds  much  beauty 


Elderberry   growing  wild;   a    choice   and   lovely  shrub  that  responds 
delightedly  to  the  attention  which  it  merits 


Natural  Features  27 

liixuriant  in  partial  shade;  bulbs  or  tubers;  lemon-yellow 
flowers;  blossoms  in  July  and  on. 

*4 — Digitalis  purpurea,  gloxinceflora:  foxglove;  four  to  six  feet 
high;  flowers  in  long,  erect  spires,  white  and  shades  of  pur- 
ple, rose  and  lilac ;  plants  or  seed ;  groups  of  six  or  more,  or 
irregularly  through  a  border;  blossoms  in  late  June  and  on. 

5 — Cimicifuga  raceniosa:  bugbane;  four  to  six  feet  high;  white 
flowers  in  rigid,  erect  racemes,  unpleasant  smelling;  buy 
plants;  group;  blossoms  in  July  and  August. 

*6 — Heuchera  sanguinea:  alum  root  or  coral  bells;  twelve  to 
eighteen  inches  high;  ordinary  soil,  sun  or  shade;  robust 
and  bushy;  bright  red  flowers  in  loose  spikes;  buy  plants; 
plant  in  groups  of  four  or  more ;  blossoms  in  July  and  August. 

shrubs;  in  full  sun 
I — Forsythia  suspensa,  Fortunei:  golden  bells;  eight  feet  high, 
branches   spreading,    pendulous   tips;    flowers  yellow   and 
bell-like,  the  entire  length  of  the  branches,  before  the  leaves; 
buy  plants;  blossoms  in  April  or  earlier. 

*2 — Eleagnus  longipes:  silver  thorn;  six  feet  high;  yellowish- 
white,  fragrant  flowers,  wreathed  along  the  branches;  fruits 
bright  scarlet,  olive-like,  edible;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in 
May. 

*3 — Rosa  rugosa:  Japanese  rose;  six  feet  high;  large  pink  single 
flowers;  very  showy  red  fruits;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in 
June  and  at  intervals  all  summer. 

4 — Buddleia  variabilis,  Veitchii:  Buddlea;  eight  feet  high; 
reddish- violet  flowers  in  long,  upright,  pyramidal  clusters; 
foliage  suffused  with  a  rosy  white,  leaves  long  and  slender; 
buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  July. 


28      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

*5 — Hibiscus  Syriacus,"  ]oa.n  of  Arc":  rose  of  Sharon;  twelve 
feet  high;  very  double  pure  white  flowers;  buy  plants; 
blossoms  in  July  and  on  to  September. 

6 — Caryopteris  mastacanthus :  blue  spirea;  five  feet  high;  blue 
flowers  in  loose  clusters,  along  the  upright  branches  with  the 
leaves ;  buy  plants ;  needs  some  protection  winters  and  may 
kill  to  the  ground  like  a  perennial,  but  new  shoots  will  come 
up  in  time  to  blossom;  blossoms  in  late  August  and  on 
through  November. 

shrubs;  in  shade 
I — Deutzia,  "Pride  of  Rochester":    Deutzia;  eight  feet  high; 

double  white  flowers  tinged  with  pink,  in  loose  clusters;  buy 

plants ;  blossoms  in  May. 
*2 — Diervilla,  "EvaRathka"  Weigela;  six  to  eight  feet  high; 

spreading   and   arching  branches;  red   flowers,   abundant, 

the  length  of  the  branches;  buy  plants;  blossoms  in  May 

and  sometimes  through  the  summer. 
3 — Cornus  stolonifera:  red  osier  dogwood;  eight  feet  high;  likes 

wet  or  damp  places;  small  white  flowers  in  dense  cymes; 

branches  blood-red  and   striking  in  winter;  buy  plants; 

blossoms  in  Jime. 
4 — Ligustrum  Ibota:  Japanese  privet;  ten  feet  high;  spreading 

branches ;  small  panicles  of  white  flowers  along  the  branches ; 

buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  June  and  July. 
*5 — Symphoricarpos    vulgaris:  Indian    currant;    six    feet  high; 

all  kinds  of  soil;  flowers  inconspicuous,  fruit  dark  red,  the 

berries  of  irregular  size ;  buy  plants ;  blossoms  in  July. 
*6 — Ceanothus  Americanus :  New  Jersey  tea;  three  feet  high; 

white  flowers  in  a  profusion  of  small  upright  panicles;  buy 

plants;  blossoms  in  July  and  sometimes  on. 


CHAPTER  III 
The  Style  of  a  Garden 

ALL  the  lovely  gardens  of  the  world  are  ours  to  draw  sugges- 
tions from.     Let  us  do  just  that,  and  stop  there,  scorning 
ever  to  copy.     When  all  is  said  and  done,  let  us  have,  here 
in  America,  American  gardens — not  imitation  Italian,  or  English, 
or  Dutch  gardens,  or  any  other  sort. 

Italy,  in  the  splendor  of  its  gleaming,  time-stained  marbles 
and  solemn  cypress  trees,  is  Italy  adorned  as  its  life,  its  climate, 
its  social  peculiarities  and  its  evolution  through  twice  a  thousand 
years  have  adorned  it.  England,  with  her  castles  and  ancient 
abbeys,  and  their  moats  and  fish-ponds — relics  of  feudal  days 
and  cloistered  monasteries — her  clipped  yews  and  velvet  turf, 
is  England  after  centuries  of  wars,  of  invasions,  of  murders  and 
pilferings,  and  all  the  shifting  conditions  of  life  which  these 
things  bring.  Is  it  not  time  we  younger  folks  over  here  recognize 
this,  and  give  up  the  ridiculous  task  of  attempting  to  build 
Elizabethan  and  Italian  gardens?  Good  taste  and  common 
sense  would  both  seem  to  indicate  that  it  is. 

There  are  three  factors  which  have  directed  the  evolution  of 
these  old-world  gardens  quite  as  definitely  as  they  have  directed 
the  evolution  of  the  races  which  built  them.  And  these  three 
factors  are  at  work  here  among  us  now  and  they  will  always  be 
at  work  among  men,  and  will  always  so  direct.     Climate  is  one, 

(29) 


30  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

though  possibly  the  least  important;  the  life  of  the  people — 
their  occupations,  temperament,  tastes  and  amusements — is 
another;  their  economic  condition  is  the  third. 

Of  these  three  the  first  is  predetermined  beyond  man's  inter- 
ference; the  second  is  variable;  the  third  is  practically  fixed, 
as  far  as  a  home  site  is  concerned.  If  an  owner's  position  changes 
economically  he  moves  into  the  place  which  that  change  fits 
him  for,  whether  it  is  up  or  down  in  the  scale;  and  the  new 
tenant  of  the  house  he  has  left  acquires  it  because  his  position, 
economically,  approximates  the  original  position  of  its  former 
owner. 

In  other  words,  a  place  worth  $10,000,  costing  $500  a  year  to 
maintain,  will  always  be  in  the  hands  of  owners  of  the  same 
average  income,  though  it  may  change  hands  frequently.  There- 
fore we  may  say  that  its  economic  position  is  practically  a  fixed 
one. 

Plainly  then,  whatever  the  amount  to  be  invested  in  a  garden 
may  be,  it  is  a  matter  for  consideration  most  carefully  under  the 
second  factor.  This  is  the  factor  which  stands  for  the  changing, 
shifting,  human  equation;  herein  the  degree  of  cultivation,  the 
temperament  and  the  taste  of  the  builder  will  reveal  themselves, 
in  the  production,  through  living  mediums,  of  something  that 
is  good  or  bad,  beautiful  or  ugly,  truly  artistic  or  falsely  artificial. 

The  two  great  schools  of  landscape  architecture  are  familiar 
enough;  we  have  all  shared,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  in  the 
bitter  warfare  that  has  raged  between  them  since  the  long-ago 
days  of  Queen  Anne — for  it  was  in  her  reign  that  the  reaction 
against  "formalism,"  which  grew  into  an  hysterical  obsession, 
first  set  in.  It  is  doubtful  if  more  belligerent  partisans  have 
ever  represented  opposing  factions  than  those  who  have  ranged 
themselves  respectively  on  the  side  of  "formal"  and  "  informal" 


A  broad  sweep  of  country  and  a  rambling  house  demand  a  free  treatment,  yet  even 
here  the  hedge-enclosed  flo\ver-garden  is  thoroughly  appropriate 


The  restrictions  of  small  city  yards  are  charmingly  compensated  by  turning  them 
into  such  definitely  designed  gardens  as  this 


■  UJ^jCdtw^w  ol 


.fl*- 


Miiu    irii  iiitmi  lain 


There  are  places  for  some  flower  beds  but  not  for   such  as   these,  and 
never,  for  any,  in  the  midst  of  a  lawn 


Small    wonder    that    these    suggest    the  pastry    cook;    liitle   lin   cookie- 
cutters  have  just  such  whorls  and  flutings 


Style  31 

— or  natural — style  in  garden  design.  The  contempt  with  which 
the  latter  have  always  regarded  the  former  is  only  equaled  by  the 
disdain  which  the  former  have  ever  entertained  for  the  latter. 

But  it  looks  very  much  as  if  the  long  controversy  were  draw- 
ing to  a  close.  Not  that  it  is  fought  out — oh,  dear  no! — but 
in  spite  of  the  resolute  defense  each  faction  has  made  of  its  chosen 
position,  and  the  tenacity  with  which  it  has  cltmg  to  it,  force 
of  circumstances  is  bringing  them  both  on  to  a  common  ground — a 
middle  ground  that  is  neither  strictly  formal  nor  painstakingly 
and  laboriously  natural,  but  rather  a  happy  compromise. 

This  is  precisely  as  it  should  be.  No  amnesty,  voluntarily 
but  grudgingly  declared,  could  be  as  binding  as  this  which  a 
constantly  growing  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  in  art  and 
Nature  is  forcing.  And  the  equilibrium  which  is  thus  becoming 
established  furnishes  the  most  favorable  condition  for  the  develop- 
ment of  a  national  taste  and  skill  in  gardening,  which  shall  be 
indicative  of  and  harmonious  with  national  life  and  character. 

The  most  ardent  adherents  of  the  landscape  or  natural  school 
can  hardly  claim  for  it  suitability  to  small  areas,  yet  the  small 
area  is  the  typical  American  home  site ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  loyal  advocates  of  that  exquisite  perfection  of  line  and  bal- 
anced detail  which  are  the  formal  garden 's  structural  necessity, 
must  admit  that  these  features  demand  an  outlay  in  the  build- 
ing, and  a  skilled  care  in  the  maintenance,  far  beyond  the 
capacity  of  anything  less  than  a  truly  plethoric  purse.  But 
both  sides  must  agree  that  all  buildings,  of  whatsoever  form  they 
may  be,  are  artificial — hence,  following  strictly  the  logic  of  the 
"natural"  school,  are  abominations,  out  of  harmony  with 
Nature.     What  is  to  be  done  about  this? 

The  apostle  of  Nature  untamed  and  free,  has  tried  to  answer 
by  planting  out  base  lines  of  buildings  and  the  angles  of  masonry 


32  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

or  wood,  with  vines  and  low  shrubs— but  discerning  eyes  see  that 
something  still  is  wrong,  though  their  possessors  may  not  know 
what.  A  house  rising  from  an  irregular  planting  of  trees  and 
shrubbery  is  far  better,  to  be  sure,  than  a  house  rising  bare  from 
the  ground  on  which  it  stands— yet  this  is  not  enough. 

There  is  but  one  reasonable  and  logical  reconciliation  between 
Nature  and  the  artificial.  They  cannot  be  brought  into  har- 
monious relations  except  by  carrying  out  architectural  lines 
beyond  the  hmits  of  stone  or  wood,  in  the  more  plastic  materials 
which  Nature  supplies,  direct  out  of  the  garden— namely  the 
trees  and  shrubs.  By  this  means,  and  this  means  only,  there  is 
the  gradual  transition  from  Nature  wild  to  Nature  tamed,  and 
from  Nature  tamed  and  brought  into  a  seemly  order  which 
approaches  graciously  yet  unmistakably  towards  geometrical 
precision,  to  the  actual  and  beautiful  precision  of  the  artificial 
structure  man  has  contrived,  by  the  aid  of  his  compass  and 

square. 

And  now  it  looks  very  much  as  if  we  had  reached  the  position 
of  formal  and  informal,  instead  of  a  choice  between  the  two — 
which  is  exactly  the  answer  to  this  troublesome  question  that  a 
study  of  the  wonderful  old  gardens  yields.  So  it  develops  that 
we  have  just  gone  arovind  in  a  circle  and  are  no  farther  now  than 
when  we  started! 

Does  it?  No — for  here  is  the  pith  of  the  argument;  here  is 
what  I  have  been  talking  all  this  time  to  get  ready  to  say.  The 
formaHty  of  America  is  individual  and  distinctly  American, 
It  is  not  to  be  expressed  in  alien  modes,  whether  of  building, 
gardening,  salutation,  or  what  not.  Upon  occasion  we  are  quite 
as  pvinctilious  as  may  be,  but  we  are  punctilious  in  our  way, 
and  not  according  to  a  foreign  fashion. 

Therefore  we  are  botmd  to  produce  very  different  results. 


Style  33 

even  within  the  restrictions  of  conventional  lines,  from  those 
accomplished  by  other  races — if  we  go  quietly  along  and  permit 
oiirselves  to  develop.  Let  us  not  refuse  to  be  guided  by  the 
fundamental  laws  which  govern  proportion  and  design;  but, 
within  these  laws,  let  us  create  something  beautiful  ourselves. 

The  first  of  these  fundamental  laws  or  principles  assures  us 
that  a  formal,  architectural,  or  conventional  garden  must  con- 
tinue along  one  of  the  principal  axes  of  the  house.  If  it  cannot 
do  this  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  have  such  a  garden.  And 
any  formal  design,  of  even  the  most  limited  extent,  must  be  car- 
ried out  on  the  axis  of  some  feature  of  the  house,  such  as  an 
entrance,  a  porch,  a  large  window,  or  some  important  detail. 

This  latter  rule  unerringly  picks  out  the  prominent  architec- 
tural lines  which  may  be  carried  on  beyond  the  wood  or  stone 
of  the  building,  although  the  building  itself  is  absolutely  irreg- 
ular; and  it  supplies  the  necessary  motif  for  planting  even  the 
tiniest  dooryard — which,  by  the  way,  ought  always  to  be  planted 
upon  such  a  motif. 

The  smaller  the  garden  area  the  more  strict  should  be  the 
adherence  to  conventional  lines,  though  they  need  not  approach 
the  limits  of  a  50  x  100  foot  suburban  plot,  by  any  means. 
Rarely,  indeed,  does  the  average  suburban  house  lend  itself  to 
any  very  extensive  formal  scheme,  for  it  itself  is  seldom  laid  out 
upon  the  regular  lines  of  more  pretentious  dwellings.  Some 
detail  must  therefore  be  chosen  to  work  from — and  usually  this 
will  be  the  entrance,  it  being  naturally  the  most  prominent. 
With  this  well  worked  up  and  well  blended  into  the  general 
scheme,  conventionality  may  stop  right  here,  and  broader  lines 
may  be  followed  in  the  rest  of  the  work. 

Planning,  however,  is  not  all  that  there  is  to  a  formal  garden. 
The  lines  laid  down  must  be  carried  out  with  material  suited  to 


34  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

them,  for  unless  this  is  done  the  whole  will  inevitably  fail. 
Plants  are  as  differept  in  their  manners  as  people,  and  quite  as 
likely  to  look  and  seem  queer,  when  put  in  the  wrong  places. 
Stiff  and  prim  little  trees  and  shrubs  are  to  be  had  in  plenty — 
but  they  must  be  of  a  shape  conforming  to  the  position  which  they 
are  to  occupy;  and  though  a  tangle  of  flowers  may  fill  a  given 
space  iji  the  formalest  of  gardens,  the  space  itself  must  be  set 
aside  in  a  distinct  and  precise  manjier. 

Evergreens  furnish  such  a  variety  of  shapes,  from  Gothic 
to  globular,  that  they  are  naturally  much  used  in  architectural 
planting.  Formal  design  becomes,  therefore,  especially  desira- 
ble in  places  where  winter  effect  is  sought,  as  an  aid  to  this 
effect  as  well  as  a  means  of  transition  from  Nature  to  man. 
Let  there  be  wildwood,  and  daisy-studded  meadows,  and  grand 
old  trees,  and  parklike  sweeps  of  lawn  by  all  means,  wherever 
there  is  space.  But  do  not  outrage  these  by  setting  in  their 
midst  an  artificial  excrescence  in  which  to  dwell,  without  softening 
the  affront  as  mvich  as  lies  within  your  power,  by  all  the  means 
at  your  command. 

Even  if  there  were  no  beauty  in  formality  this  need  for  it 
would  be  argument  enough  in  its  favor.  But  it  is  beautiful; 
in  and  by  itself,  it  possesses  a  serene  and  stately  beauty  absolutely 
unrivaled.  It  is  only  the  extravagant  abuse  of  it  that  is  un- 
desirable— ^but  is  extravagance  ever  anything  else,  whatever 
form  it  takes?     And  is  intemperance  ever  anything  but  vulgar? 

Lists  of  Plants 

Plants  for  formal  gardening  are  divided  into  two  classes :  the 
untrimmed  and  untrained  natural  forms,  and  the  trimmed  and 
trained  artificial  forms.     In  the  first  class  there  are  columns. 


Style  35 

pyramids,  globes  and  standards;  and  therefore  this  class 
contains,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  all  the  material  required  in  formal 
planting.  These  possess  great  advantages  over  the  plants  of  the 
second  class,  inasmuch  as  their  care  is  practically  nothing  at  all. 
Clipped  forms  must  be  constantly  watched  and  kept  in  shape  by 
ever  repeated  shearings,  at  the  proper  season — and  it  requires 
no  mean  sculptural  skill  to  maintain  them  in  perfect  symmetry. 

Evergreens  furnish  a  large  proportion  of  the  material  for  for- 
mal gardening,  though  deciduous  specimens  are  by  no  means 
lacking.  Formal  hedges  must  of  course  be  sheared,  whichever 
may  be  used,  for  nothing  but  shearing  will  develop  the  density 
of  the  growth,  or  keep  it  perfectly  equal  and  true  to  the  trim 
lines  laid  down. 

Evergreens  should  be  sheared  just  before  the  season's  growth 
starts — in  March  or  April— while  they  are  being  developed ;  that 
is,  while  they  are  being  allowed  to  grow.  After  they  have 
attained  the  desired  size,  they  should  be  sheared  annually,  in 
Jtme.  Deciduous  plants  may  be  sheared  in  spring,  just  after  the 
growth  starts,  and  twice  during  the  summer,  as  may  be  necessary 
to  keep  them  in  shape.  Winter  clipping  induces  strong  growth 
of  shoots  usually  and  where  this  strong  rank  growth  is  desirable, 
winter  pruning  may  be  done.  It  will  encourage  density  of  growth 
also  and  is  useful  therefore  when  the  plants  are  not  as  large  as 
desired,  or  as  bushy. 

Hedge  Plants 
evergreen 
I — Tsuga  Canadensis:  common  hemlock;    makes    an  impene- 
trable, dense  green  wall  of  any  desired  height  up  to  fifteen 
feet;  prefers  a  rather  moist  soil,  well  drained;  the  most 
beautiful   of  all  evergreens  for  a  hedge;  stands  pruning 


2,6  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

perfectly;  plant  two  to  three-foot  plants  eighteen  inches 
apart ;  take  off  the  tips  of  the  leaders  and  of  all  branches 
in  March  or  April,  until  large  enough  to  shear;  when  this 
size  is  reached,  trim  as  directed,  in  late  May  or  June. 

2 — Thuya  occidentalis :  American  arborvitae;  grows  naturally 
in  moist  places  but  does  well  when  planted  in  any  ordinary 
soil ;  plant  and  trim  the  same  as  hemlock ;  will  require  very 
little  clipping  on  the  sides  at  first,  as  the  width  is  not  great 
for  the  height. 

DECIDUOUS 

I — Ligustrum  Atnurense:  Amoor  privet;  grows  to  fifteen  feet 
high;  any  soil  and  will  not  mind  shade;  set  three-foot 
plants  nine  inches  apart,  in  a  trench  twenty-four  inches 
deep ;  this  plants  them  six  inches  deeper  in  the  groimd  than 
they  were ;  trim  the  tops  evenly  at  a  height  of  twelve  inches 
after  the  hedge  is  planted,  and  trim  away  the  tips  of  all 
side  shoots;  keep  low  imtil  a  dense  base  growth  is  well 
established. 

2 — Fagus  sylvatica:  European  beech;  to  any  desired  height; 
loamy  soil;  the  bronze-gold  leaves  persist  all  winter;  they 
are  large  and  the  character  of  the  hedge  is  less  solid  in 
appearance  than  privet,  though  it  makes  an  impenetrable 
screen,  winter  and  summer;  set  two  or  three-foot  plants 
twenty-four  inches  apart ;  prune  before  growth  starts  each 
spring  and  trim  off  straggling  shoots  at  any  time  afterwards; 
especially  desirable  for  high  and  large  hedges. 

(All  hedges,  whether  evergreen  or  deciduous,  should  be 
trimmed  narrower  at  the  top  than  at  the  base.  The  ideal  form 
is   a   straight-sided   or  a   slightly  convex-sided  wedge-  in  the 


Style 


37 


former  the  top  is  flattened  to  a  width  equal  to  half  the  base,  in 
the  latter  it  is  not  flattened  at  all  but  is  an  actual  wedge  form.) 

Edging  for  Beds  and  Walks 
I — Buxus  sempervirens,  suffruticosa:  dwarf  boxwood;  four  to  six 
inches  high;  set  four-inch  plants  four  inches  apart;  protect 
lightly  with  litter  from  hot  sun  during  the  first  two  or  three 
winters  after  planting. 

2 — Ligustrum  ovali folium:  California  privet;  any  soil  and  will 
do  perfectly  well  in  shade;  may  be  kept  trimmed  to  four 
inches  in  height — when  this  is  done  the  leaves  become  small 
and  the  general  appearance  very  like  boxwood;  Amoor 
privet  may  be  treated  in  the  same  way. 

Columnar — Natural  Forms 
evergreen 

1 — Juniper  us  Virginiana:  red  cedar;  may  attain  forty  or  fifty 
feet  in  time;  any  soil — poor  and  stony,  or  low  and  damp 
ground,  or  even  immediately  on  the  seashore;  nearest 
approach  to  the  classical  cypress  form,  but  may  not  retain 
this  in  extreme  old  age,  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  lose  its  lower 
branches  and  spread  into  picturesque  irregularity  at  the  top. 

2 — Thuya  occidentalis,  pyramidalis :  pyramidal  arborvitse ;  finally 
reaches  thirty  feet  in  height;  prefers  a  moist,  loamy  soil; 
very  slender  and  spire  like. 

3 — Juniperus  communis,  Suecica:  Swedish  juniper;  attains  to 
forty  feet  in  height;  any  soil;  narrow  and  slender ;  light 
bluish-green  in  color, 

DECIDUOUS 

i—Populus    nigra,    Italica    (P.    nigra,    fastigiata) :  Lombardy 


38      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

poplar;  sixty  feet  high;  any  soil;  rapid  growing;  effective 
when  used  after  the  manner  of  the  old  world  cypress. 

Columnar — Trained  Artificial  Forms 

evergreen 

1 — Buxus  sempervirens:  boxwood;  three  to  five  feet  high;  grows 

slowly  and  therefore  does  not  require  much  shearing. 
2 — Tsuga  Canadensis:  hemlock;  may  be  kept  at  any  height; 
shear  in  the  same  manner  as  when  used  for  a  hedge. 

DECIDUOUS 

I — Ligustrum:  privet;  from  three  to  seven  feet  high;  retains  its 
leaves  during  winter,  so  is  actually  half  evergreen ;  shear  the 
same  as  when  used  for  a  hedge. 

Pyramidal — Natural  Forms 
evergreen 

I — Thuya  occidentalis,  Sibirica:  Siberian  arborvitae;  to  thirty 
feet  high,  of  slow  growth ;  loamy  soil ;  broad  at  base  and 
tapering ;  dense ;  brighter  green  than  other  arborvitass. 

2 — Retinospora  pisifera,  plumosa  {Chamcscyparis  pisifera,  plu- 
mosa):  Japanese  or  Sawara  cypress;  three  to  eight  feet 
high  and  same  width  at  base ;  moist  but  well  drained  sandy 
loam,  partly  shaded,  and  sheltered  from  drying  winds. 

2 — Retinospora  ptsijera,  squarrosa  (C.  pisifera,  squarrosa) :  blue 
Japanese  cypress;  same  as  above;  foliage  silvery-blue,  dense, 
feathery. 

There  are  no  deciduous  natural  pyramidal  forms.  Pyramidal 
trained  artificial  forms,  both  evergreen  and  deciduous,  may  be 
had  in  the  same  varieties  as  the  Columnar  forms. 


A  house  in  the  wildwood  nestling  among  trees  is  one  of  the  few  dwell- 
ings whose  approach  does  not  rccjuire  at  least  a  modicum  of  formality 


-Vii-Mn^i    t.-^cLpLio]i    tw    ilic    (Iluuiii.;    i^.r    ii-riiiai    Irealaicni  i>    LJic 

house  which  rises  from  rock  formation:  the  third  is  the  bungalow 

crouched  upon  sand  dunes 


A  bit  from  the  Villa  Lante:  structural  work  of  this  sort  should  never  be 
undertaken  unless  the  dwelling  harmonizes  perfectly 


The  mellow,  time-worn  gardens  of  Italy  and  the  Old  World  generally, 
may  be  rich  in  suggestion  but  ought  never  to  be  slavishly  imitated 


Style  39 

Globular — Natural  Forms 

evergreen 

I — Thuya  occidentalis,   glohosa:  button-shaped  arborvitae;  two 

feet  high  and  the  same  in  diameter ;  bright  green  foliage. 
2 — Thuya  occidentalis,  "Little  Gem":  dwarf  arborvits ;  two  feet 
high,  broader  than  high;  moist,  loamy  soil;  dark  green  foli- 
age. 

DECIDUOUS 

I — Viburnum  opulus,  nanum:  dwarf  viburnum;  two  feet  high, 
broader  than  high ;  common  soil ;  compact  and  well  formed 
and  holds  its  shape. 

2 — Catalpa  bignonioides,  nana  (C.  Bungei) :  dwarf  catalpa ; 
three  to  eight  feet  high,  eight  to  ten  feet  in  diameter;  any 
somewhat  moist  soil;  will  do  well  at  the  seashore;  large 
leaves  and  luxuriant  growth. 

Globular — Trained  Artificial  Forms 
evergreen 
I — Thuya  occidentalis:  American  arborvitae;  shear  as  directed 
for  evergreen  hedges. 

deciduous 
I — Ligustrum:  privet;  shear  as  directed  for  hedge. 

Standard  or  Bay  Tree  Forms 
(These  are  always  artificially  produced.) 
evergreen 
I — Buxus  sempervirens:  boxwood;  stems  up  to  eighteen  inches 
high;  heads  to  two  feet  in  diameter;  should  be  shaded  from 
the   midday  sun   of   winter;   give  light  winter  protection 
for  two  years  after  planting. 


40      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

DECIDUOUS 

I — Ligustrunt:  privet;  stems  from  two  to  six  feet  high,  as  de- 
sired; heads  three  to  four  feet  in  diameter;  half  evergreen, 
retaining  its  leaves  all  winter ;  must  be  sheared  to  maintain 
its  form;  small  leaves  and  dense,  compact  growth;  shear  as 
directed  for  hedges. 

2 — Catalpa  Bungei  (C  bignonioides,  nana— grafted  high) :  bay 
tree  form  of  catalpa;  stems  six  to  eight  feet  high;  heads 
eight  to  ten  feet  in  diameter ;  this  retains  its  form  naturally 
and  does  not  require  shearing  at  any  time ;  large  leaves  and 
heavy  foliage,  making  dense  heads. 

Arches  and  Niches 

evergreen 

I — Tsuga  Canadensis:  hemlock;  may  be  bent  and  trimmed  in 

any  desired  form ;  shear  same  as  directed  for  hedges. 
2 — Thuya    occidentalis:  American    arborvitae;    shear    same    as 
directed  for  hedges. 

DECIDUOUS 

I — Ligustrunt:  privet;  may  be  pleached^ woven  together — 
and  trimmed  as  desired ;  shear  same  as  directed  for  hedge. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Getting  into  a  Place 

IT  is  the  fashion  of  some  landscape  architects  to  consider  all 
roads  or  walks  as  simply  necessary  evils,  to  be  slid  over 
and  made  as  inconspicuous  as  possible — and  then  forgotten. 
This  has  always  seemed  to  me,  however,  a  rather  extreme  view 
to  take  of  a  thing  so  essential  as  our  exits  and  our  entrances — 
a  view  that  is  likely  to  lead  to  over-elaborate  efforts  at  con- 
cealment of  them.  This  in  turn  leads  to  freakish  results — or  is 
liable  to. 

Entrances  we  must  have,  therefore  let  us  first  of  all  be  frank 
with  them.  And  then  let  us  spare  no  pains  to  have  them  beau- 
tiful ;  for  the  entrance  gives  to  the  whole  place  its  characteristic 
first  impression.  But  to  make  them  beautiful  we  must  find  out 
very  carefully,  at  the  outset,  what  constitutes  a  beautiful 
entrance. 

The  beauty  in  a  gateway  itself — ^the  entrance  in  a  narrow  sense 
— is  secured,  I  should  say,  first  of  all  by  suitability.  But  gate- 
ways we  will  leave  to  a  chapter  by  themselves,  and  deal 
here  with  the  plan,  on  the  ground,  of  the  approaches  from  the 
highway.  These  constitute  the  entrances  in  a  broader  sense, 
being  the  way  in ;  and  their  arrangement  is  the  first  thing  to  be 
considered  and  decided  upon  when  developing  the  layout  of  a 
place.     They  are  one  of  the  absolutely  vital  features.     Indeed 

(41) 


42  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  more  places  are  ruiiied  by  badly 
located  driveways  and  walks  than  by  any  other  one  thing. 
No  absolute  rule  can  be  formulated  for  laying  out  a  walk  or 
a  drive.  Generalities  for  certain  circumstances  may  be  de- 
veloped, but  no  certainties  for  general  application  reward  even 
the  most  earnest  study — excepting  this:  Walks  and  driveways 
should  always  be  direct — as  direct  as  the  line  that  a  tired  man 
or  a  lazy  man  or  a  hurried  man,  coming  into  the  house  or  driving 
to  the  stable,  would  naturally  follow. 

I  am  perfectly  sure  that  no  one  can  go  wrong  in  placing  a 
gateway,  or  mapping  a  walk  or  drive,  who  understands  this  one 
truth,  and  acts  upon  it  intelligently. 

Let  us  take  a  glance  into  the  realm  of  psychology  for  a  moment 
— after  premising  that  the  location  of  the  house  and  all  other 
buildings,  being  governed  by  the  formation  of  the  land  and  other 
local  conditions,  has  been  decided  upon  before  the  question  of 
entrances  comes  up  at  all.  It  should  be ;  the  very  choicest  site 
which  the  land  affords  should  be  selected,  regardless  of  how  the 
drive  or  walk  is  to  reach  it,  or  where  the  gate  is  to  be.  There 
is  never  any  kind  of  path,  anywhere  in  the  world,  that  does  not 
lead  to  something  that  was  there  before  it. 

Given,  then,  a  house  situated  where  you  want  it  on  the  land; 
fronting  in  whichever  direction  is  to  the  greatest  advantage, 
according  to  the  arrangement  of  its  rooms;  with  its  doors  and 
windows  placed  where  they  are  tuider  the  twin  considerations 
of  convenience  and  beauty;  locating  the  gateway  and  mapping 
the  walks  and  drives  become  problems  of  psychology,  pure  and 
simple. 

Lives  there  a  man  who  does  not  want  to  cut  across  the  lawn  ? 
Even  though  it  may  save  him  less  than  half  a  dozen  steps  to  do 
so,  the  impulse  is  nearly  always  there.     Why  is  it  ?     Why  does 


Walks  and  Drives  43 

this  tantalize  him  and  keep  him  ever  on  his  guard  against  yield- 
ing to  it  ?  Why  this  wellnigh  irresistible  desire  to  go  some  other 
way  than  along  the  walk  laid  out?  Is  it  just  human  nature — or 
is  there  a  reason  for  it? 

Undoubtedly  it  is,  just  human  nature;  but  there  is  a  reason 
for  it,  even  so.  And  there  is  a  way  of  getting  at  the  reason — 
which  brings  us  to  psychology,  does  it  not?  For  this  great 
science  of  the  mind  is  surely,  after  all,  first  the  science  of  human 
nature — the  science  of  analyzing  and  classifying  those  curious 
twists  which  individualize  us. 

In  this  matter  of  walks  it  resolves  again  into  the  line  of  least 
resistance.  Indeed  this  is  continually  revealing  itself  as  the 
most  compelling  influence.  Therefore  the  highest  degree  of 
success  attainable  in  mapping  a  walk  lies  in  working  with  it — 
in  humoring  whimsical  human  nature,  which  after  all  is  not 
altogether  as  unreasonable  as  it  sometimes  seems.  In  other 
words,  it  Hes  in  placing  a  gate  at  the  psychological  point  and  a 
walk  along  the  psychological  line.  The  walk  or  drive — I  must 
be  understood  as  referring  to  both  in  all  generalizations — that 
carries  a  capricious  human  creature  to  a  given  point,  without  its 
having  occurred  to  him  that  a  difference  in  direction  here  or 
there  would  get  him  there  with  completer  satisfaction  to  his  soul, 
is  a  success.     That  is  unquestionably  the  supreme  test. 

But  how  are  we  to  determine  this  line?  And  will  it  not 
interfere  sometimes  with  a  great  many  important  things,  if 
literally  followed? 

To  the  latter,  yes  it  will— sometimes — if  literally  followed; 
to  the  former,  we  are  going  to  determine  it  by  predetermining 
just  where  it  shall  fall.  That  is,  we  are  going  to  create  the  con- 
ditions which  will  establish  the  direction  we  wish  it  to  take, 
instead  of  accepting  the  direction  established  by  conditions  as 


44      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

we  find  them — providing  of  course  that  conditions  as  we  find 
them  do  not  already  direct  it  along  the  easiest,  best  and  most 
generally  beautiful  course. 

On  a  large  place  this  is  as  likely  to  be  the  case  as  not,  if  the 
ground  is  rolling.  Long,  sweeping  curves  will  come  naturally 
from  following  the  easiest  grade  and  avoiding  mounds  and 
hummocks.  But  with  less  land,  natural  contours  are  less 
varied;  and  something  must  be  done  to  supply  the  lack  of  them. 
What  shall  it  be? 

Decide,  in  the  first  place,  at  what  point  of  the  grounds  travel 
towards  the  house  naturally  focuses.  If  you  will  notice  where 
your  own  steps  tend  to  leave  the  sidewalk  and  stray  truantly 
across  the  lawn,  or  the  place  where  the  lawn  is  going  to  be, 
you  will  easily  fix  this  point.  Then,  starting  from  it,  determine 
the  course  that  is  ideal  for  the  walk  to  follow— the  course  which 
will  suit  you  perfectly  as  you  walk  over  it,  and  that  will  look 
best  from  house,  grounds  and  street.  This  will  almost  never  be  a 
straight  line. 

When  it  is  found,  if  no  excuses  exist  for  its  deviation  from  a 
straight  line,  provide  them.  Plant  a  tree  squarely  in  the  way, 
with  another  near  enough  to  give  both  the  appearance  of 
happening  to  be  there.  Reinforce  these  with  groups  of  shrubs 
if  necessary,  which  the  walk  will  have  to  avoid.  Lead  and  coax 
it  along  in  this  way  until,  adjusting  itself  to  the  obstructions 
you  have  furnished,  it  follows  your  own  sweet  will,  with  nothing 
to  hint  that  it  could  have  taken  any  other  course. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  "  direct ' '  Hne  is  usually  interpreted 
to  mean  a  straight  line,  this  will  of  course  seem  to  be  an  absolute 
contradiction  of  the  one  general  rule  with  which  we  started.  But 
the  direct  line,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  is  almost  never  a  straight  line, 
running  at  a  right  angle  from  the  street.     It  is  instead  a  direction 


Walks  and  Drives  45 

line,  which  bears  off  from  the  street  at  the  point  where  the  mind 
and  the  feet  naturally  turn  towards  the  house  entrance,  leading 
to  that  entrance  irresistibly  yet  not  violently. 

The  tired  individual,  sauntering  homeward,  will  very  rarely — 
indeed  I  doubt  if  he  will  ever — find  it  the  natural  thing  to  walk 
to  a  point  directly  opposite  the  house  door,  turn  a  right-about- 
face,  and  walk  in,  in  a  beeline,  and  up  his  front  steps.  And  it 
is  not  fatigue,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  that  makes  the  idea  of  doing 
this  irritating.  It  is  the  lack  of  actual  directness,  and  the 
violent  interruption  in  the  force  which  is  impelling  him  forward, 
which  his  feet  and  his  subconscious  mind  are  aware  of,  even 
though  his  active  consciousness  may  not  be. 

The  small  suburban  place,  with  its  restricted  area,  offers 
possibly  the  most  difficult  problem  of  all,  in  this  as  in  other 
respects.  Its  limitations  are  decided,  and  conventional  ugliness 
has  long  been  accepted  as  the  proper  thing — indeed,  the  only 
thing.  In  fact  the  small  suburban  place,  commoner  than  any 
other  kind  of  place  in  the  land,  is  the  one  thing  which  we  go  on 
t^glifying  year  in  and  year  out,  in  Simian  imitation  each  of  the 
other.  There  is  almost  never  an  attempt  to  break  away  from 
the  commonplace  treatment  that  makes  all  such  places  ordinary 
and  uninteresting. 

Once  in  awhile,  however,  something  is  done  which  gives  a  hint 
of  the  possibilities  of  even  such  places  as  these.  And  on  the 
next  page  is  a  little  diagram  showing  a  departure  from  the 
tiresome  old  ways,  which  illustrates  some  of  the  things  I  have  been 
saying.  The  arrangement  of  the  entrances  is  of  course  the 
feature  which  makes  this  place  so  different  from  all  others. 
But  it  is  worth  while  to  note  that,  by  planning  these  as  they  are, 
the  whole  place  is  vastly  improved  and  much  space  saved.  It 
is  therefore  an  excellent  example  of  good  landscape  gardening. 


46 


The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 


Origmally  there  was  the  usual  walk,  leading  straight  from  the 
sidewalk  to  the  front  steps  of  the  dwelling.  This  of  course  cut 
the  already  small  lawn  into  two  parts,  the  two  patches  being 
each  about  eighteen  by  twenty-five  feet.     The  lot  is  fifty  by 

one  hundred.  The  walk  to 
the  kitchen  was  where  it  is 
now,  and  had  to  stay  there 
because  of  the  general  plan  of 
the  house.  Only  two  courses 
therefore  were  open  as  a 
means  of  improvement. 

One  was  to  move  the  point 
of  departure  of  the  kitchen 
walk  from  the  sidewalk,  along 
six  feet  to  the  left ;  to  broaden 
this  walk  to  four  feet,  and 
branch  it  into  a  Y  when 
within  six  feet  of  the  house. 
The  right  arm  would  then 
disappear^  as  kitchen  walk, 
arotmd  the  corner  of  the  build- 
ing, while  the  left  would  termi- 
nate at  the  foot  of  the  steps. 
This  would  of  course  have  made  one  gateway  and  one  walk, 
for  a  certain  space,  serve  two  entrances.  And  the  disadvantages 
of  having  a  service  entrance  and  a  main  entrance  the  same,  even 
on  a  very  small  place,  are  obvious.  But  this  was  not  the  only 
thing  which  decided  against  such  an  arrangement  as  that  just 
outlined,  and  in  favor  of  the  scheme  as  it  is  here  shown.  The 
unalterable  way  in  and  out  to  this  place  is  at  the  left  hand  corner. 
That  psychological  influence  which  is  forever  at  work  in  this 


A  typical  suburban  lot  redeemed  by  an 
unusual  arrangement  of  walks 


Walks  and  Drives 


47 


matter,  so  decreed.  Its  decree  was  accepted  and  wisely  fol- 
lowed— and  the  result  is  an  absolute  verification  of  the  principle. 
There  was  no  hedge  and  almost  no  planting  of  any  kind  when 
the  tests  were  made  to  determine  the  location  of  this  important 
point.  It  was  therefore  an  exceptional  opporttmity  to  observe 
the  impulse,  not  only  of  those  living  in  the  house,  regarding  it, 


Yr- — ^-^ — 

Plan  A — Planting  detail  of  entrance 
walk  as  shown 


Plan  B — Planting  detail  of  a  slightly- 
different  arrangement 


but  of  casual  visitors  as  well.  And  all  kinds  of  subterfuge  were 
resorted  to,  to  trick  the  unwary  and  lure  them  into  wandering  in, 
across  the  Httle  squares  of  green  that  lay  on  either  side  of  the 
prim  granolithic  walk. 

Nine  out  of  every  ten  left  the  sidewalk  just  where  the  gate  is 
now — and  the  tenth  looked  longingly  at  that  point,  though  he 
kept  dutifully  to  the  walk.  None  made  the  exact  right-angle 
turn  at  the  porch  which  the  walk  shows ;  but  a  group  of  shrubs 
close  to  the  walk,  m  this  angle,  backed  up  by  a  tree  which  shades 
the  porch,  deludes  one  into  going  that  way  now,  willingly  and 
contentedly,  because  it  is  plainly  the  most  direct — or  seems  to 


48     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

be.  The  sharp  turn  was  used  because  the  small  amount  of  space 
made  it  important  to  conserve  every  foot  of  lawn  surface.  A 
curv'e  would  have  sacrificed  a  little ;  and  though  it  would  have 
been  better,  strictly  speaking,  it  would  not  have  been  enough 
better  in  so  small  an  area  to  make  up  for  the  loss. 

The  house  was  a  rambling  affair,  irregular  enough  and  informal 
enough  to  have  almost  any  kind  of  a  garden,  except  a  formal 
one.  So  the  hedge-enclosed  front  lawn  was  planted  with  a 
border  of  old-fashioned  flowers  on  two  sides,  with  more  against 
the  house  for  good  measure.  To  provide  a  way  out  to  the 
kitchen  entrance,  as  well  as  a  private  way  in  from  that  side  if  one 
happens  to  need  it,  a  line  of  stepping  stones  was  carried  across 
the  front,  past  the  bay  window,  to  a  wicket  in  the  half  hidden 
hedge. 

Similar  stones  at  the  end  of  the  porch  prevent  the  tramping 
down  of  the  grass  which  is  sure  to  result  from  much  running 
across  in  such  a  situation.  Always  remember,  by  the  way,  to 
put  two  stones  at  the  end  of  such  a  line.  These  divert  footsteps, 
now  this  way,  now  that,  so  that  the  grass  will  be  worn  evenly 
instead  of  just  in  one  place  following  the  last  stone. 

By  shifting  the  front  walk  on  this  place  the  dimensions  of  the 
lawn  became  42  x  25  feet,  the  former  being  the  distance  across 
the  front  from  the  inner  side  of  the  hedge  which  excludes  the 
kitchen  walk,  to  the  inner  side  of  the  boundary  hedge  opposite. 
This  increased  area  is  all  in  one  undivided  stretch  of  greensward, 
which  makes  it  appear  even  more  of  an  increase  than  it  actually  is. 

The  kitchen  walk  is  utilitarian,  pure  and  simple,  yet  passing 
between  the  two  rows  of  hedge  as  far  as  the  comer  of  the  house 
and  between  vine-covered  house  and  hedge  from  there  on,  it  is 
by  no  means  unattractive.  A  stout  gate  admits  it  to  the  kitchen 
yard,  which  is  completely  latticed. 


Walks  and  Drives  49 

The  sidewalk  remains  of  cement,  but  once  inside  the  front 
gate — painted  white,  this  is  hung  between  white  posts,  above 
which  the  privet  of  the  hedge  is  trained  to  form  an  arch — there 
is  no  longer  a  sign  of  such  massive  material.  The  house  walks  are 
both  appropriately  graveled  as  becomes  a  simple  cottage  scheme. 
The  hedge  is  trimmed  at  shoulder  height,  rising  higher,  as  already 
mentioned,  at  the  gate.  The  seclusion  of  the  place  is  delightful, 
yet  it  is  not  at  all  shut  in. 

There  is  much  about  this  little  place  that  is  generally  suggest- 
ive and  helpful.  Walks  and  drives  are  simply  longer  or  shorter 
according  to  the  distance  they  must  cover;  they  are  never  very 
different  one  time  from  another,  excepting  on  uneven  ground. 
And  even  here  there  is  no  method  of  laying  them  out  better  than 
the  one  described — of  this  I  am  long  since  convinced— unless 
the  circumstances  are  very  exceptional. 

Plants  Used 
plan  a — partial  shade 

I — Daphne  Mezeremn:  Mezereon  pink;  three  to  four  feet  high; 
any  soil,  said  to  prefer  a  light  rich  one  and  part  shade — will 
do  well  in  sun  however  and  even  in  dry  soil;  flowers  deep 
red-purple,  very  fragrant,  close  along  the  stems  in  twos  and 
threes;  blossoms  in  March,  sometimes  in  February,  long 
before  the  leaves  appear. 

2 — Berberis  Thunhergii:  Japanese  barberry;  four  feet  high;  any 
soil;  low  and  dense,  horizontal-branching  shrub;  flowers 
pale  yellow,  small,  strvmg  along  the  branches  Hke  little 
inverted  cups;  blossoms  in  April  and  May;  scarlet  hemes 
follow  which  remain  all  winter. 

3 — Deutzia  corymbiflora:  Deutzia;  four  feet  high;  any  soil;  the 
branches  are  long  and  slender  and  spreading ;  white  flowers 


50      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

in  large  clusters  at  the  ends  of  branches  and  twigs,  covering 

the  bush ;  blossoms  in  Jvme. 
4 — Cornus  sanguinea:  variety  of  cornel;  twelve  feet  high;  any 

soil,  sun  or  shade;  greenish- white  flowers  in  dense,  roiuid, 

flat  clusters ;  blossoms  in  May  and  Jvme;  black  fruits  follow; 

the  branches  of  this  shrub  are  a  deep  blood-red  in  winter 

and  very  decorative. 
2 — Syringa  vulgaris:  common  lilac;  twelve  to  twenty  feet  high; 

any  soil  will  do  but  a  moderately  moist  one  is  preferred ; 

familiar  lilac-colored  flowers;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 
6 — A  cer  rubrum :  red  maple  tree ;  reaches  one  hundred  and  twenty 

feet  high  in  time ;  any  soil ;  the  earliest  of  the  trees  to  flower,  its 

scarlet  blossoms  appearing  in  March  or  April ;  very  gorgeous 

in  autumn  color. 

PLAN    B — FULL    SUN 

1 — Chrysanthemum — hardy  pompon  type ;  two  to  three  feet  high; 
any  soil;  flowers  in  greatest  abundance,  small  and  button- 
like, in  white,  all  shades  of  yellow  to  deep  coppery-bronze 
and  all  shades  of  mauve-pink  to  deep  maroon ;  keep  to  one 
or  the  other  of  the  two  latter  color  divisions  in  selecting, 
and  do  not  attempt  to  use  both;  blossoms  in  September 
and  on  tmtil  frost  cuts  the  plants  down. 

2 — Deutzia  corymbiflora:  as  described  in  the  hst  for  Plan  A. 

3 — Lonicera  Morrowi:  Japanese  bush  honeysuckle ;  six  feet  high ; 
any  garden  soil;  flowers  white,  turning  to  yellowish;  blos- 
soms in  May;  covered  with  ruby  berries  from  late  in  July 
on  through  the  summer  and  tmtil  hard  frost. 

4—Diervilla  hybrid,  Pascal:  hybrid  Weigela ;  six  to  eight  feet 
high;  branches  erect,  arching  and  spreading;  deep  red 
flowers  in  great  abim  dance  covering  the  bush  down  to  the 


The  perfectly  balanced  house  may  be  approached  by  a  direct  entrance  but  the  ettect 
of  such  an  approach  is  not  always  gracious 


Suggestive  ami  inviting  glimpses  lend  charm,  as  dues  nothing  else,  to  an  eiUr.uiLe 


Even  a  very  smaii   i  nvn   area  ac<niires  ^p.iciuusness  and  dignity  if  its  mass  is  un- 
broken by  the  entrance  walk 


miummmt »  t-h —  iijl'.     J\ 

sal     Js^L     mm 


Perfect  symmetry  aLv.ji  ,.i:'l  ir.i;    ;.;   ■■     .u.'\-v:  \.,,ii,^    i,.n.!   \\i 
and  there  is  a  suggestion  of  artiliciaUty 


n    ..re  lacking 


Walks  and  Drives  51 

ground;  blossoms  in  Jmie  and  sometimes  again  later  in 
the  summer. 

5 — Forsythia  siispensa,  Fortunei:  weeping  Forsythia  or  golden 
bells;  eight  feet  high;  branches  arching  and  tips  touching 
the  grotmd;  yellow  bell-like  flowers  along  every  branch 
and  twig;  blossoms  before  the  leaves  unfold  in  early  spring; 
attractive  in  foliage. 

6 — Spircea  VanHouttei:  VanHoutte's  spirea;  six  to  eight  feet 
high ;  any  soil ;  slender  arching  branches ;  dense  round  clusters 
of  tiny  white  flowers,  burying  the  bush;  blossoms  in  May 
and  June. 

7 — Rosa  rugosa:  Japanese  rose;  six  feet  high;  any  soil,  in  sun; 
large  single  flowers,  white  (alba)  or  rose-colored  (rosea); 
blossoms  abvmdantly,  in  June  and  on  throughout  the  sum- 
mer until  late  in  the  autumn;  flowers  followed  by  very 
ornamental  red  hips  or  berries  that  persist  all  winter. 

8 — Hydrangea  paniculata,  grandiflora:  great-panicled  hydrangea; 
might  reach  twenty  feet  in  height  but  is  usually  kept  back 
by  pruning,  which  helps  to  produce  finer  bloom;  any  well 
drained  soil,  with  plenty  of  moisture;  enormous  panicles 
of  white  flowers ;  blossoms  in  August  and  holds  the  clusters 
until  late  autumn;  color  changes  from  white  to  pinkish 
Hlac. 


n.  OF  ILL  L!R. 


CHAPTER  V 

Vines  as  Harmonizers 

IT  would  scarcely  appear  at  first  glance  that  vines  need  occupy 
the  attention  of  the  landscape  gardener  for  very  long,  or 
that  they  hold  a  place  very  peculiarly  their  own  in  land- 
scape work.  Yet  they  are  possibly  the  one  class  of  plants  upon 
which  we  are  dependent  more  than  any  other,  in  every  circum- 
stance, and  whether  the  work  to  be  done  is  very  great  and  pre- 
tentious or  vei-y  himible  and  modest.  For  vines— or  to  speak 
more  accurately,  climbers— area  paramoiuit  necessity  at  the  very 

beginning. 

Nature,  sober,  staid  and  dignified,  objects,  I  take  it,  to  being 
surprised.  Witness  how  aloof  she  holds  herself  from  any  newly 
finished  work  of  man,  until  even  the  most  unimaginative  feel 
her  absence  and  are  chilled.  And  of  course  the  work  of  man  is 
a  surprise!  Possibly  it  is  a  presumption— certainly  it  is  arti- 
ficial and  vmnatural— and  possibly  her  averted  face  is  no  more, 
indeed,  than  a  very  justly  deserved  rebuke. 

But,  however  that  may  be,  if  man,  with  understanding  of 
Nature's  peculiarities  and  acknowledgment  of  his  own  crude- 
ness,  will  offer  her  the  apology  which  is  implied  in  an  appeal  to 
her  for  aid,  she  is  graciousness  itself.  All  her  resources  are 
immediately  at  his  disposal,  and  the  exquisite  fabrics  of  her  looms 
are  flung  with  careless  grace  here,  or  hung  with  rich  splendor 

(52) 


Vines  53 

there,  according  to  the  need.  Airy  draperies  and  heavy  there 
are — enough  kinds  to  suit  the  demands  of  every  place  and  occa- 
sion.    Encourage  her  to  spread  them — that  is  all  she  needs. 

In  common  parlance,  plant  vines — that  is  appealing  to  her, 
directly  and  frankly  for  aid.  Plant  them  first  of  all,  and  plant 
them  plentifully  around  new  buildings.  And  plant  them  as 
soon  as  the  builders  have  gone,  quite  independent  of  whatever 
other  work  may  be  intended  and  quite  independent  of  the 
garden  design. 

Whether  a  place  is  large  or  small,  formal  or  informal,  matters 
not  at  all  so  far  as  this  detail  is  concerned.  The  vital  thing  is 
that  every  building  must  have  vines  upon  it  to  impart  that  sense 
of  oneness  with  the  earth  which  is  the  first  essential.  Until 
this  is  acquired  the  eye  will  not  rest  upon  it  with  any  sense  of 
real  satisfaction. 

But  vines  themselves  are  formal  and  informal  in  their  habits, 
quite  the  same  as  other  plants;  and  they  mtist  therefore  be 
chosen  to  suit  the  place  which  they  are  to  occupy  and  the  mate- 
rial which  is  to  be  their  support.  Then,  too,  they  are  quite  differ- 
ent one  from  another,  in  other  ways;  and  the  qualities  which 
distinguish  them  in  these  other  ways  must  guide  very  considera- 
bly in  their  planting. 

In  the  first  place,  though  we  speak  generally  of  "vines"  and 
though  all  vines  are  climbing  plants,  all  climbing  plants  are  not 
by  any  means  vines ;  and  in  the  second  place,  all  do  not  "  climb ' ' 
tmassisted.  Climbers  are  defined  as  weak-stemmed,  tall-growing 
plants  which  are  incapable  of  rising  from  the  earth  without 
support.  Of  this  very  general  class  the  true  vines  lift  them- 
selves; the  others  are  simply  prostrate  unless  lifted. 

The  means  by  which  vines  lift  themselves  are  the  determining 
factor  as  to  their  use,  and  these  means  are  three  in  number. 


54     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

Some  twine  bodily  around  their  support,  some  catch  it  with 
tendrils  or  twining  leaf  stalks,  and  some  cling  to  it  with  aerial 
rootlets,  or  with  numerous  tiny  sucker-like  disks  provided  for 
the  purpose. 

The  latter  of  course  are  the  vines  which  furnish  the  dense, 
compact  and  beautiful  wall  coverings — the  most  formal  growth 
that  there  is.  The  ivies  ascend  in  this  way,  also  the  "  clarion- 
flowered"  trumpet  creeper.  Morning-glories  and  Wistaria  are 
twiners — note  that  they  are  more  airy  and  careless  in  their 
growth — while  the  grape,  in  both  its  ornamental  and  its  purely 
utilitarian  forms,  is  an  example  of  those  still  more  careless 
growers  which  draw  themselves  to  their  support  with  coiling 

tendrils. 

The  so-called  climbing  roses  do  not  climb  at  all,  but  must  be 
helped  up  and  tied  to  their  support;  the  matrimony  vine,  so 
often  found  in  old  gardens,  is  at  a  similar  disadvantage,  but  this 
is  usually  planted  where  it  may  fall  over  a  wall  and  in  such  a 
position  needs  only  to  be  let  alone.  A  variety  of  the  famihar 
Forsythia,  which  has  slender,  pendulous  branches,  is  practically 
as  much  of  a  climber  as  either  of  these,  though  it  is  all  too  sel- 
dom used  as  such.  This  is  suited  to  a  similar  location  against  or 
above  a  wall.  And  there  are  numerous  hardy  plants  Usted  as 
prostrate  shrubs  which  send  out  long  runners  quite  the  equal 
of  many  reputed  climbers. 

Of  course  only  the  climbers  that  belong  to  that  class  which 
actually  holds  fast  to  a  surface  by  disks  or  rootlets,  are  entirely 
independent  of  a  trelhs  or  support  of  some  sort;  but  this  very 
quality  of  close  surface  clinging,  on  the  other  hand,  makes  its 
possessors  unsuitable  for  use  in  many  places.  The  grip  of  the 
tiny  disks  or  rootlets  carries  the  plant  over  and  around  an  object 
until  it  is  practically  lost  to  view— and  that  is  going  a  little  too 


Vines  55 

far.  A  shapely  white  column,  for  instance,  is  lovely  when 
ornamented  by  a  green  tracery  that  shows  against  it  —  but 
clumsy  when  obscured  by  a  thick,  verdant  blanket  that  destroys 
its  outline.  For,  after  all,  though  Nature  is  to  be  placated  as  far 
as  possible,  we  cannot  allow  her  to  obliterate  our  abodes. 

Generally  speaking,  all  porch  vines  should  be  provided  with 
a  trelhs  to  climb  on — and  right  here  let  me  say  that  the  orna- 
mental possibilities  of  various  forms  of  trellis  are  rarely  taken 
advantage  of  as  I  should  like  to  see  them,  and  as  they  very 
easily  might  be.  There  is  permanent  beauty  in  a  well  designed 
and  well  constructed  permanent  support,  that  frankly  takes  its 
place  and  makes  no  attempt  to  hide  when  the  plant  which  it 
supports  does  not  conceal  it.  It  is  a  feature  that  deserves 
more  consideration  than  it  usually  receives. 

Strings  and  chicken  wire  are  not  to  be  despised  in  their  place, 
but  the  dignity  of  heavy-growing  and  profuse-blooming  hardy 
chmbers  requires  something  worthier  than  these  to  support  it — 
and  this  something  should  always  be  built.  The  architecture  of 
a  building  will  usually  suggest  the  form  and  the  design  to  be 
adopted,  and  some  architects,  indeed,  include  such  suggestions 
in  their  elevation  drawings  for  a  house. 

Vines  over  a  porch,  however,  whether  supported  on  a  trellis 
or  climbing  directly  on  the  uprights  which  sustain  the  roof, 
should  always  follow  the  lines  of  construction  and  should  never 
cross  the  open  spaces  between  columns  or  uprights ;  nor  should 
they  be  allowed  to  fill  these  by  hanging  over  them  from 
above. 

Primarily  a  vine  is  a  drapery  and  should  be  treated  as  such. 
Where  it  is  wanted  for  shade  it  should  be  trained  out  over  a 
horizontal,  awning-like  framework  or  extension  to  a  porch  root 
rather  than  in  a  dense,  vertical  wall  that  closes  the  porch  in  from 


56  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

light  and  air  and  view.  Vines  clothing  walls  should  likewise 
be  trimmed  sharply  away  around  casements  and  other  openings. 
Indeed  the  effect  is  better  if  they  are  not  allowed  to  cover  an 
entire  wall  surface  but  are  restrained  at  suitable  points,  so  that 
the  wall  itself  is  visible  for  perhaps  a  third  of  its  area.  The  con- 
trast between  wall  and  foliage  is  usually  more  pleasing  than  the 
unbroken  expanse  of  green — and  cornice  lines,  comers,  and  angles 
here  and  there  should  always  be  left  imcovered,  to  reveal  unmis- 
takably the  definite  form  and  strong  sharj)  outline  of  the 
building. 

The  use  of  flowering  climbers  against  a  house  is  never  a  source 
of  any  particular  pleasure  to  the  dwellers  therein,  for  the  blossoms 
are  borne  where  they  cannot  be  seen  excepting  from  without. 
It  is  well  to  bear  this  in  mind  in  selecting  and  planting ;  not  that 
it  is  a  reason  for  not  planting  flowering  climbers,  but  rather  that 
it  is  a  reason  for  planting  two  of  them — one  against  the  house, 
if  you  will,  and  one  against  a  trellis  or  an  arbor  or  outbuilding, 
where  it  can  be  seen  from  the  house. 

It  is  a  good  rule  to  keep  to  the  green  and  leafy  vines  for  the 
dwelling,  however,  because  of  their  freedom  from  insects  and  the 
absence  of  litter  in  the  shape  of  falling  petals  and  flowers. 
Roses  require  spraying  invariably,  and  other  flower-bearing 
climbers  are  likely  to.  It  is  a  very  great  nuisance  to  accompHsh 
this  where  they  are  trained  against  a  surface  which  may  be 
stained  by  the  spray. 

Chmbers  are  the  one  means  whereby  Nature's  green  may  creep 
up  and  cover  foundation  walls  where  they  rise  from  the  groimd — 
and  that  is  the  particular  place  where  they  need  covering.  The 
work  of  garden  construction  on  any  place  is  well  begun  when 
plants  to  furnish  this  cover  are  once  established.  The  planting 
of  shrubs  later,  at  points  along  a  foimdation,  is  a  matter  to  be 


Vines  57 

decided  by  the  plan  of  the  place  as  a  whole — and  must  wait  for 
such  plan  to  be  matured.  But  vines — again  let  me  urge  it — 
need  wait  for  nothing.  They  may  be  planted  at  any  time,  as 
soon  as  the  outside  of  a  building  is  done. 

As  a  very  first  step,  then,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Boston  ivy  or 
one  of  its  varieties,  may  always  take  its  place  on  a  building's 
sunny  side,  while  English  ivy  may  be  used  where  no  sun  will 
reach,  if  one  wishes.  The  English  i\'y  is  more  formal  in  growth 
of  the  two  and  is  therefore  especially  suited  to  buildings  of  a  very 
formal  nature  or  style.  Its  hardiness  in  this  climate,  however, 
depends  on  its  being  protected  from  the  warmth  of  the  sun  during 
cold  weather — the  sun  kills  it,  not  the  cold — and  this  of  course 
renders  its  general  use  on  all  sides  of  a  structure  out  of  the 
question. 

On  buildings  other  than  dwellings  several  vines  may  some- 
times be  mingled  with  good  effect,  if  the  right  kinds  are  chosen. 
With  those  which,  like  the  honeysuckle,  are  inclined  to  be  bare 
of  foliage  near  the  ground  this  combination  planting  is  indeed 
quite  essential  to  a  pleasing  result.  Clematis  also  needs  the 
leafiness  of  some  companion  to  make  up  for  its  own  lack  of  foliage, 
especially  low  on  the  stems. 

Combinations  to  insure  all-summer  bloom  are  easily  worked 
out.  Lovely  and  striking  hedges  may  be  made  up  of  a  tangle 
of  two  or  three  climbers  like  honeysuckle  and  Wistaria,  sup- 
ported by  and  mmgling  with  the  common  wild  rose  of  the 
fields  and  roadside  (Rosa  lucida),  or  the  even  lovelier  Michigan 
rose  (Rosa  setigera).  These  form  a  practically  impenetrable 
barrier,  and  will  grow  almost  for  the  planting.  They  require 
more  ground,  to  be  sure,  than  an  ordinary  fence,  but  they  are  a 
garden  in  themselves,  and  the  only  care  they  need  is  the  cutting 
away  of  enough  of  all  three  annually  to  prevent  them  from 


58  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

choking  each  other.     The  honeysuckle  will  require  the  severest 
pruning  usually,  being  a  rampant  grower. 

Finally,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that,  while  vines  are  indispensable 
to  the  great  place,  regardless  of  how  much  other  planting  it  may 
boast,  they  are  also  the  one  thing  which  the  tiniest  scrap  of  land 
will  support.  They  are  the  material  par  excellence  which  will 
furnish  the  greatest  possible  results  in  the  least  possible  space. 
Roothold  is  practically  all  the  ground  that  they  require,  conse- 
quently the  most  restricted  area  may  accommodate  one  or  two. 
No  wall  or  fence,  even  m  the  heart  of  the  largest  city,  need 
ever  be  bare  of  some  sort  of  restful  green.  They  are  the  one  thing 
adapted  to  every  place,  with  positively  no  restrictions. 

Lists  of  Plants 
Vines  for  Use  on  Buildings 

SURFACE    clinging 

I — Ampelopsis  tricuspidata  (or  A.  Veitchii):  Boston  ivy;  any 
soil;  climbs  to  any  height;  will  grow  practically  anywhere, 
though  it  Ukes  some  sun. 

2 — Euonymous  radicans:  Japanese  evergreen  creeping  euonym- 
ous ;  slow-growijig ;  fine  leaf,  glossy  and  strong ;  very  beau- 
tiful for  masonry. 

3 — Hedera  Helix:  English  ivy;  high-climbing;  any  soil,  though 
it  prefers  a  rich  and  moist  one,  always  in  shade ;  the  north 
side  of  a  building  usually  suits  this  best;  evergreen,  with 
thickened   leathery   leaves. 

TWINING 

I — Wistaria  Chinensis:  Chinese  Wistaria;  climbs  to  any  height; 
prefers  a  deep  rich  soil  but  will  make  the  best  of  that  that 


Fresh  green  Boston   ivy.  fragrant  Hall's  honeysuckle,   large-flowered  clematis  and 
the  exquisitely  lovely  Wistaria  are  perhaps  the  four  best  house  vines 


Vines  59 

is  dry  and  sandy;  flowers  light  violet -blue,  in  long,  loose 
clusters;  blossoms  in  May  and  again,  less  freely,  in  Septem- 
ber; stem  twines  and  grows  woody  with  age;  clings  by 
twining  tendrils  also;  always  buy  pot-grown  plants  as  others 
do  not  transplant  readily. 

2 — Clematis  paniculata:  Japanese  virgin's  bower;  climbing  to 
twenty  or  thirty  feet ;  rich,  light  loam — add  lime  to  the  soil 
every  other  year ;  sheets  of  fragrant  white  starlike  flowers ; 
blossoms  in  August  and  September;  seeds  are  also  very 
ornamental ;  climbs  by  twining  leaf  stalks. 

3 — Akehia  quinata:  Japanese  Akebi;  tall-climbing;  well  drained 
soil,  in  full  sun;  clusters  of  bluish-brown  flowers,  spicily 
fragrant ;  blossoms  from  early  spring  on  through  May ;  the 
fruit,  a  long  purple  berry,  is  eaten  in  Japan,  but  it  is 
rarely  produced  in  this  coimtry;  plant  with  the  clematis — 
Number  2 — to  clothe  the  latter 's  bare  lower  branches. 

VINES    FOR    COLUMNS 

All  vines  must  be  trained  and  held  around  columns;  heavy 
wire  supports  are  usually  best,  being  least  conspicuous;  a  wood 
support  may  carry  them  up  a  short  distance  from  the  ground 
and  they  may  then  be  carried  over  and  around  the  column  and 
secured  in  place. 

I — Viiis  vulpina:  riverbank  or  frost  grape;  tall-climbing;  any 
soil;  flowers  very  fragrant — with  the  garden  grape;  fruits 
small,  black -purple,  sour  and  not  pleasant  to  eat ;  lifting  by 
tendrils,  this  must  have  something  for  the  tendrils  to 
grasp,  provided  for  it. 
2 — Vitis  Lahrusca:  fox  grape;  strong,  tall-climbing;  any  soil; 
leaves  furred  densely  underneath  with  reddish  wool, 
making  them   particularly  rich  in   color  under   sunlight; 


6o     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

fruits  large  and  very  like  the  common  grape  in  looks  but 
falling  when  ripe ;  musky  and  sweet ;  this  lifts  by  tendrils  and 
must  be  provided  with  tendril  supports. 

3 — Clematis  lanuginosa,  Henryi:  large-flowering  clematis; 
climbing  to  fifteen  feet;  deep  loamy  soil  in  full  sim;  cream 
white  flowers,  four  inches  across;  blossoms  in  August  and 
September ;  lifts  by  coiling  leaf  stalks ;  give  strong  and  rigid 
support  from  the  groimd  some  distance  up,  so  that  the 
plants  will  not  whip  in  the  wind ;  an  iron  rod  or  a  light  wood 
trellis  is  the  best  thing. 

4 — Tecoma  radicans  (or  Bignonia  r.):  trumpet  creeper;  strong 
iiigh  chmber;  any  soil;  scarlet  trumpet-shaped  flowers; 
blossoms  in  July  and  through  August ;  lifts  by  aerial  rootlets 
which  clings  to  surfaces  as  persistently  as  the  disks  of  disk- 
climbers. 

5 — Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  Engelmanni:  variety  of  Virginia 
creeper ;  high-climbing ;  any  soil ;  colors  brilliantly  in  autumn ; 
varies  in  habit  so  that  it  may  require  tying  up  or  it  may  lift 
by  disks. 

6 — Lonicera  Periclymenum,  Belgica:  Dutch  honeysuckle;  climb- 
ing to  twelve  or  fifteen  feet;  any  soil;  flowers  red  outside; 
blossoms  all  summer;  climbs  by  twining. 

LOW    SHRUBS    SUITABLE    FOR    BASE    OF    BUILDINGS 

1-^Berberis  Thunbergii:  Japanese  barberry;  two  to  four  feet 
high;  any  soil  and  in  sun  or  shade;  small  pendant  yellow 
flowers  in  April  or  May;  bright  scarlet  berries  persisting 
all  winter;  fine  foliage,  very  brilliant  in  autumn  color. 

2 — Forsythia  suspensa,  Fortunei:  pendulous  golden  bells;  eight 
feet  high;  any  soil;  yellow  flowers  Uke  bells  the  length  of 
the  branches  before  the  leaves  appear  in  spring ;  the  branches 


Vines  6i 

arch  and  tips  fall  to  the  ground  so  that  the  bush  is  seldom 
actually  as  tall  as  its  height  in  feet  would  indicate. 
-Symphoricarpos  racemosus:  snowberry;  three  to  six  feet 
high;  any  soil,  sun  or  shade;  flowers  small,  red;  blossoms 
in  July;  quantities  of  fat  white  berries,  crowded  and  irregu- 
lar in  size,  follow,  persisting  until  winter  storms  destroy 
them. 

-Pieris  Mariana  (or  Andromeda  Mariana):  lily-of-the- valley 
shrub,  or  stagger  bush;  four  feet  high;  moist  well  drained 
soil,  free  from  lime,  part  shade;  pinkish- white  flowers  in 
wands  three  inches  long  and  over,  fragrant;  blossoms  in 
April  to  June. 


CHAPTER  VI 
Vistas  Good  and  Bad 

A  BARRIER  of  living  verdure  makes  an  unpleasant  pros- 
pect practically  non-existent,  whether  space  be  measured 
in  acres  or  in  feet.  Therefore  it  does  not  seem  an  exag- 
geration to  say  that  the  possibilities  which  lie  between  what 
are  termed  "planting  out"  and  "planting  in"  are  the  greatest 
boon  of  the  garden  builder,  wherever  he  may  be  working. 
Nothing  need  be  endured,  for  even  the  tiniest  of  snug  Uttle 
places  has  room  for  a  screen  of  one  sort  or  another.  And  the 
tinier  the  place  the  greater  is  the  likelihood  of  its  needing  a 
screen  somewhere. 

Distance  is  the  primary  consideration  in  planning  a  screen — 
not  the  distance  away  of  the  object  to  be  screened,  however, 
but  the  distance  between  it  and  the  screen.  What  this  distance 
shall  be  is  determined  by  the  relative  size  of  the  object  and  the 
place  from  which  it  is  desired  to  hide  it.  Therefore,  this  de- 
mands attention  first. 

Let  us  suppose  that  the  small  building  at  the  right  in  the 
diagram  is  to  be  cut  oflF  from  the  window  of  the  house  only. 
Then,  in  order  to  be  made  up  of  the  least  number  of  shrubs 
possible,  the  screening  group  must  be  placed  close  up  to  the 
window.  But  if  the  same  building  is  to  be  "planted  out" 
from  the  entire  porch  it  will  be  necessary  to  set  the  shrubs  of 

(62) 


The  transition   from  the  formality  of   the  garden  to  the   salt    meadow 

beyond  is  beautifully  accomplished  by  means  of  reedy  grasses,  all  lines, 

even  the  screen  at  the  right,  being  horizontal,  low  and  spreading 


Here  1^  .1  1I1.1--UI  iiu  iiariiiony  between  terrace  wall,   shore  and  sky  line, 
the  whole  embodying  the  perfection  of  dignity  and  repose 


Latticed- top  screen  for  a  service  yard  with  a  latticed  arch  entrance;  this 
is  obviously  a  barrier  but  it  is  so  interesting  that  it  is  unresented 


The  same   screen   from  within,  showing  detail,  and  also  showing  that 
even  a  service  yard  may  have  its  charm 


Vistas 


63 


the  screen  as  close  up  to  the  building  as  they  may  go,  in  order 
to  use  the  least  possible  number — therefore  at  the  greatest 
distance  from  the  porch. 

So  we  find  the  rule  to  be  that  when  the  object  is  larger  than 
the  space  from  which  it  is  to  be  screened,  economy  in  numbers 


The  relative  sizes  of  object  to  be  screened  and  view  point  determine 
the  location  and  size  of  the  screen 


is  served  by  shortening  the  distance  between  the  screen  and  the 
observation  point.  But  when  the  object  is  smaller  than  the 
region  from  which  it  is  to  be  excluded,  the  reverse  is  true. 
Fewer  shrubs  will  be  required  if  the  distance  between  screen 
and  observation  point  is  extended  to  the  fullest  degree. 

The  material  to  be  planted  cannot  be  decided  upon  tmtil  the 
position  of  the  screen  is  thus  determined,  as  its  selection  depends 
greatly,  of  course,  upon  the  amount  of  space  allowed.  Naturally 
evergreens  are  the  things  ideally  adapted  to  screening,  for  they 
fulfil  the  purpose  winter  and  summer.  If  it  is  not  possible  to 
plant  a  screen  entirely  of  them  it  is  well  to  make  them  form  a 
large  portion  of  every  such  group. 

Lack  of  space  need  not  exclude  them.  A  wall  of  hemlock  will 
take  up  as  little  room  as  a  wall  of  stone  or  brick,  and  it  may  be 


64  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

brought  to  any  desired  height  and  will  stand  shearing  into  any 
form.  Its  impenetrable  soft,  thick,  beautiful  green  is  lovely 
enough  to  need  no  excuse  foi-  being. 

When  a  screen  has  to  be  situated  near  at  hand  this  is  impor- 
tant. Indeed  mider  such  circumstances  it  is  well  to  present  it, 
itself,  as  a  feature,  frankly  drawing  and  centering  attention 
upon  it,  instead  of  attempting  to  make  it  unobtrusive  and  xm- 
noticed.  Such  an  attempt  is  bound  to  fail  when  the  distance 
is  short ;  and  the  irritating  suspicion  of  what  may  be  beyond 
which  constantly  recurs  when  the  vision  is  intercepted  by  a 
group  that,  of  itself,  is  not  interesting  enough  to  distract  at- 
tention, is  something  to  be  avoided  if  possible.  It  is  a  subterfuge 
to  feature  the  screen,  but  a  perfectly  excusable  one. 

Coiuitless  ways  to  make  such  a  barrier  itself  of  special  inter- 
est will  suggest  themselves,  according  to  a  situation.  With  a 
hemlock  hedge,  if  the  hedge  itself  is  not  enough,  a  semi-formal 
treatment  is  excellent.  A  pedestaled  faun  or  a  row  of  them, 
placed  before  it  at  intervals  of  ten  to  fifteen  feet  and  gleaming 
white  against  the  green,  will  never  grow  wearisome.  Or  if 
these  are  too  ambitious  for  the  rest  of  the  place,  substitute  a 
sun-dial,  an  urn,  or  a  garden  seat,  with  a  flanking  pair  of  small 
pyramidal  boxwood  or  juniper  trees,   or  a  pair  of  flowering 

shrubs. 

Ramblers  or  pillar  roses,  gathered  up  and  tied  to  a  straight 
young  sapHng,  take  up  very  little  room;  and  grown  this  way 
they  are  marvelously  effective,  lending  themselves  especially 
to  cramped  quarters.  Simpler  than  anything  else  would  be  a 
row  of  these  to  form  columns  of  bloom  against  the  hemlock's 
dark  green.  A  selection  of  several  varieties  will  give  a  long 
period    of   bloom. 

Privet  grows  much  faster  than  hemlock  and  costs  a  great  deal 


Vistas  65 

less — and  it  holds  its  bronzy  leaves  persistently  even  against 
wind  and  snow  and  frost.  So,  for  prompt  results,  and  cheaper, 
it  is  very  satisfactory  indeed.  Even  without  a  leaf  upon  its 
branches  an  old  privet  hedge  that  has  been  properly  trimmed,  is 
so  twiggy  that  it  very  effectually  hides  the  thing  beyond  it. 

Where  there  is  room  enough  a  thick  planting  of  arborvitae, 
hemlock,  spruce,  or  cedar,  left  untrimmed  to  form  a  natural  back- 
groimd  for  a  border  of  flowering  shrubs,  cannot  be  improved 
upon.  Shrubs  having  ornamental  fruits  or  highly  colored  winter 
bark  may  be  chosen,  and  will  add  to  the  winter  beauty  of  the 
group.  For  screens  to  be  placed  at  a  distance,  on  a  place  of 
considerable  size,  I  should  always  recommend  conifers  as  the 
dominant  note,  with  deciduous  trees  beyond  in  as  natural  and 
forest-like  relation  as  possible. 

Whatever  the  thing  may  be  that  mars  the  outlook  from  within 
a  dwelling  or  offends  the  eye  at  any  point  of  the  surrounding 
grovmds,  let  me  urge  that  something  be  done  to  annihilate  it 
promptly.  There  is  no  necessity  for  contemplating  a  neighbor's 
chicken  yard  from  the  library  windows,  nor  for  tolerating  a 
view  of  his  tool  house  or  wood  pile  from  the  front  gate.  A 
little  contriving  will  find  a  way  to  hide  them.  Similarly,  even 
remote  objects  may  be  blotted  from  the  landscape,  if  not  in 
one  way  then  in  another — for  what  a  bush  will  not  hide  a  pine 
tree  will. 

The  reverse  process,  whereby  the  outer  world  is  included  in 
one's  private  grounds  or  garden — the  "  planting  in"  process — is 
obviously  not  altogether  that,  Hterally.  Rather  is  it  a  great 
deal  more  than  that,  for  the  term  applies  of  course  to  any 
arrangement  which  brings  an  object  or  a  view — usually  the  latter 
— into  the  general  scheme  of  a  place,  even  though  it  is  miles 
distant  from  it. 


66      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

Leaving  the  intervening  space  unobstructed  and  quite  free 
from  any  planting  would  seem  to  be  the  simplest  way  of  accom- 
plishing this,  but  curiously  enough  it  often  fails  utterly.  For 
a  view  must  be  more  than  there  to  give  us  the  fullest  apprecia- 
tion of  its  beauty;  it  must  be  there-for-our-benefit.  And  some- 
thing must  be  done  to  make  us  feel  this,  to  assure  us  unmis- 
takably that  this  is  so,  as  we  look  out  upon  it.  It  must  be 
incorporated  into  the  place  from  which  we  behold  it. 

The  one  thing  which  surely  accomplishes  this  very  much  to  be 
desired  result — the  thing  that  is  the  key  to  success  in  this  phase 
of  tree  and  shrub  planting- — is  a  thing  that  is  generally  over- 
looked and  tmsuspected.  Yet  it  is  so  important  that  it  cannot 
be  over-estimated  nor  over-emphasized.  Briefly  it  is  this:  the 
dominant  line  in  a  view  must  dominate  the  planting  which 
carries  the  eye  to  that  view. 

In  other  words,  the  lines  along  which  the  planting  carries  the 
vision  must  be  made  harmonious  with  the  object  which  ulti- 
mately meets  that  vision.  They  must  be  what  someone  has 
very  aptly  termed  "  eye  sweet.  "  At  first  glance  this  may  seem 
impossible,  in  some  instances  anyway.  For  example,  how  is  the 
vision  to  be  carried  straight  ahead  by  means  of  lines  that  conform 
to  a  sea  horizon  ?  Certainly  the  dominating  line  of  that  is  hori- 
zontal ;  and  a  horizontal  line  is  at  a  direct  right  angle  with  the  line 
of  vision  as  one  looks  out  to  sea. 

True  enough;  nevertheless  the  vision  travels  straight  to  the 
seascape  over  broad  lines  of  planting  which  sweep  to  left  or  right 
or  both,  in  lines  that  are  generally  horizontal,  much  more  swiftly 
and  directly  than  it  does  where  an  effort  is  made  to  actually 
carry  it  forward  with  lines  of  planting  that  run  against  the  hori- 
zon. The  rule  holds  because,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  planting 
cannot  force  the  vision  through  tunnels  or  along  ruts  or  ridges 


Vistas  67 

of  green.  It  can  only  persuade  it  and  lead  it  on.  It  is  a  matter 
of  suggestion,  not  coercion.  And  successful  suggestion  always 
presents  but  the  one  idea — it  offers  not  the  subtlest  hint  of  a 
resistant  force  or,  in  this  instance,  an  antagonistic  direction. 
The  idea  in  the  case  just  cited  is  all  breadth  and  expansion,  and 
nothing  should  occur  to  distract  the  mind,  through  the  eye,  from 
this. 

A  view  that  follows  a  valley  requires  "planting  in"  on  pre- 
cisely the  same  principle — that  is  on  the  lines  of  the  valley, 
whether  they  be  oblique  to  the  view  point,  or  horizontal,  or 
straight  away.  Similarly  a  view  of  field  or  mountain  or  stream 
must  determine,  by  the  line  which  dominates  it,  just  how  the 
vision  shall  be  helped  along  the  way. 

I  have  yet  to  find  an  instance  where  the  rule  does  not  apply. 
Consciously  or  unconsciously  the  artist  makes  use  of  it  in  a 
landscape,  and  views  that  give  a  sense  of  complete  satisfaction 
will  be  found  to  measure  up  to  the  standard  which  it  furnishes. 
It  not  only  legitimately  includes  a  prospect  in  your  own  domain, 
but  it  emphasizes  its  presence  there;  and  by  this  emphasis 
enhances  its  value  to  the  whole. 

Happily,  circumstances  require  the  planting  of  barren  tracts 
to  create  vistas,  rather  more  often  than  they  require  the  cutting 
out  of  Nature's  growth  to  clear  them — happily  at  least  for  some 
of  us.  I  doubt  if  many  who  love  outdoors  and  all  that  lives 
outdoors,  can  see  a  tree  felled  without  a  shivering  pang  of  regret. 
I  am  perfectly  free  to  confess  that  I  cannot.  Yet  it  is  quite  as 
important  to  eliminate  vegetation  under  some  conditions  as  it  is 
to  preserve  it  tmder  others.  But  let  there  be  no  uncertainty 
about  when  to  do  one  and  when  the  other — for  the  hour  in  which 
a  tree  may  be  laid  low  is  tragically  brief,  compared  to  the  half 
a  hundred  years  or  so  it  may  have  been  growing. 


68 


The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 


When  circumstances  force  a  choice  between  trees  and  a  view, 
and  it  is  the  only  view,  choose  it  every  time — tmless  there  is 
chance  for  an  interloper  to  come  between  and  steal  it  from  you 
at  some  future  day.  Settle  this  beyond  all  doubt.  Never  open 
a  vista  that  may  end  in  an  eye-sore  some  time,  through  a  neigh- 
bor's freak,  or  folly,  or  indifference. 

But  do  make  as  much  of  the  world  your  own  as  you  can,  right 
down  to  the  rim.  There  is  something  none  can  afford  to  be 
without  in  living  with  a  horizon,  either  of  land  or  sea,  and  trees 
that  hide  it  are  cheating  you.  They  are  robbing  you  of  soul 
expansion  that  is  rightfully  yours.  Condemn  them  and  take 
them  out  without  compunction.  Their  room  is  better  than  their 
company  tmder  such  circumstances — though  it  may  hurt  to  see 
them  go. 


rm  '^K 


^.)7:.^' 


>^^- 


Planting  of  evergreen  and  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs  forming  a  screen  group 
two  hundred  feet  long. 


Lists  of  Plants 

evergreen  and  deciduous    trees  in  the    screen    group 

I — Pinus  Strobus:  white  pine;  one  hundred  feet  high  or  more; 

adapts  itself  to  any  soil;  the  most  beautiful  of  all  native 

evergreen  trees;  care  must  be  used  in  setting  this  out  and 


■.'^. 


A  very  high  wall  and  its  immediate  foreground  should  be  made  so  inter- 
esting by  planting  that  wonder  about  what  lies  beyond  will  never  arise 


-    ■     it 

5   '^"/'■'^:' 

.^'u^-f   ■    .     .;  ''^  .   'i^r 

■   ^               .;■:   ^^^ 

- 

is:  f   - 

11  j 

^^^^^y^^^M^^^^^-    "'•  ■■ 

S'''-l 

M 

M 

•te*?^"  . 

White  marble  against  evergreens  is  always  enchanting,  and  fauns  are 
particularly  appropriate  garden  subjects 


Nothing  is  more  restful  than  thi-  l-ng  v\\i\  hu.-  ■         :.  ,  \  ergreen  hL-dge, 
and  it  furnishes  a  deHghtful  note  of  contrast  for  flowers 


Winter  and  summer  a  screen  of  living  grtin   is  aLtually  a  screen, 
well  as  a  pleasant  feature  of  the  grounds 


Vistas 


69 


Details  of  shrubbery  groups  from  the  large  screen  group,  laid  off  in 
three-foot  squares ;  this  gives  the  exact  location  of  every  plant. 


70  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

young  plants  only  should  be  transplanted ;  the  long  tap  root 

makes  this  precaution  necessary. 
2 — Tsuga   Canadensis:  hemlock   spruce   or   common  hemlock; 

seventy-five  feet  high  and  over;  any  soil,  not  too  dry;  ranks 

next  to  the  white  pine  and  is  quite  as  beautiful  in  its  way; 

easily  transplanted. 
^—Betula  papyrifera:  canoe  or  paper  birch;  sixty  to  eighty  feet 

high;  fairly  rich  soil,  but  may  be  very  generally  planted; 

very  white  bark,  peeling  readily  from  the  tree;  used  by  the 

Indians  for  their  canoes. 
^—Populus  nigra,  Italica:  Lombardy  poplar;  sixty  to  eighty  feet 

or  more  high ;  any  soil ;  pyramidal  trees  which  are  familiar  to 

everyone. 
5 — Sorbus  aucuparia:    European  mountain  ash  or  rowan  tree; 

forty  feet  high,  sometimes  more ;  any  soil ;  white  flowers  in 

flat  clusters;  blossoms  in  May  and  Jtine ;  brilliant  red  berries 

follow,  which  remain  all  winter;  the  rowan  tree  of  old  folk- 
lore. 

SHRUBS    IN    THE    SCREEN    GROUPS 

I — Forsythia  suspensa,  Fortunei:  weeping  or  pendulous  golden 
bells;  eight  feet  high;  any  soil;  yellow  flowers  the  length  of 
the  branches  in  early  spring ;  branches  arch  and  dip  to  the 
ground. 

2 — Ligustrum  Ibota,  Regelianum:  variety  of  privet;  six  feet  high; 
any  soil;  low  and  spreading  growth;  small  lilac-like  clusters 
of  white  flowers;  blossoms  in  June  and  July;  black  berries 
follow. 

3 — Hibiscus  Syriacus,  pa:oniflora:  rose  of  Sharon;  twelve  feet 
high;  any  soil;  solitary  white  flowers  with  red  centers, 
abtmdant;  blossoms  in  August  and  September. 


Vistas  71 

4 — Forsythia  intermedia:  erect  golden  bells;  twelve  feet  high; 
any  soil;  yellow  blossoms  the  same  as  Forsythia  suspensa,  F.; 
fine  clear  foliage. 

5 — Cornus  candidissima:  panicled  cornel;  fifteen  feet  high;  an 
upright-growing,  dense  shrub  with  smooth  gray  branches; 
tiny  white  blossoms  in  closely  packed  clusters,  numerous 
and  attractive;  blossoms  in  May  and  June;  ornamental 
white  berries  follow. 

6 — Cornus  alba,  Sibirica:  Siberian  dogwood;  ten  feet  high; 
any  soil  and  will  do  well  in  sun  or  shade;  erect-growing, 
with  bright  red  branches  and  twigs ;  small  white  flowers  in 
flat  clusters;  blossoms  in  May  and  June;  has  bluish- white 
berries. 

7 — Viburnum  pruni folium:  black  haw  or  stag  bush;  fifteen  feet 
high;  any  soil;  tiny  white  flowers  in  dense  clusters  four 
inches  broad ;  blossoms  in  April  or  May. 

8 — SpircBa  VanHouttei:  VanHoutte's  spirea;  six  to  eight  feet 
high;  any  soil;  slender  arching  branches;  dense  rotind 
clusters  of  small  white  flowers  which  weigh  the  branches 
down  and  cover  the  bush;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 

9 — Lonicera  Morrowi:  bush  honeysuckle;  eight  feet  high;  any 
ordinary  soil;  flowers  white  changing  to  yellow;  blossoms 
in  May  and  June ;  is  covered  with  very  ornamental  translu- 
cent ruby-colored  fruits  which  persist  a  long  time. 

10 — Diervilla,  Eva  Rathke:  hybrid  Weigela;  six  to  eight  feet  high; 
a  rather  moist  soil  and  partial  shade;  abundant  deep  red 
flowers ;  blossoms  in  Jvme  and  on  during  the  summer. 

This  two-hundred-foot  group  may  be  broken  up  into  smaller 
groups  in  almost  any  way  that  seems  desirable.     Trees  alone 


72  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

of  any  cluster  may  be  used,  or  shrubs  alone  where  only  a  low 
screen  is  necessary.  The  details  of  each  of  the  four  shrubbery 
groups  show  the  location  of  each  shrub.  These  are  laid  off  in 
three-foot  squares,  for  convenience  in  calculating  the  distances 
and  also  to  faciUtate  getting  the  plan  onto  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Boundaries 

A  BOUNDARY  is  "a  visible  mark  indicating  the  limit" — 
those  are  the  exact  words — hence  there  can  be  no  greater 
anomaly  than  an  "invisible  boundary."     And  happily 
we  are  outgrowing  the  affectation  that  led  us,  a  decade  or  so  ago, 
to  such  violation  of  good  sense  as  the  total  elimination  of  hedges, 
fences  and  all  other  "visible"  evidences  of  limits. 

It  must  have  been  affectation  pure  and  simple,  for  there  is 
absolutely  nothing  in  human  experience  or  human  instinct 
which  prompts  such  action.  Rather  indeed,  do  these  urge  an 
opposite  course.  A  little  bit  of  the  earth  with  a  fence  around  it 
is  the  honest  demand  of  human  nature,  common  to  all  but  the 
anarchists.  These  want  the  fences  down  to  be  sure — or  they  say 
they  do — but  is  it  so  others  may  walk  in,  or  because  they  them- 
selves wish  to  walk  out? 

The  sacrifice  of  boundaries  in  suburban  communities  has 
usually  been  made,  I  think,  under  a  doubly  mistaken  idea. 
There  is  an  impression,  widely  prevailing,  that  an  effect  of  spa- 
ciousness is  thus  gained.  And  there  is  a  feeling,  widely  cherished, 
that  this  particular  effect  is  the  great  desideratum,  to  which  all 
else  should  be  willingly  sacrificed. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  spaciousness  is  of  small  consequence, 
alone  and  by  itself.     When  it  results  naturally  from  conditions 

(73) 


74  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

which  have  been  carefully  taken  advantage  of  m  the  layout  of  a 
garden,  when  the  greatest  attention  to  economy  of  space  has 
produced  it  or  emphasized  it,  well  and  good.  In  other  words, 
when  it  actually  exists,  where  there  actually  is  "  space"  to  take 
advantage  of  and  to  emphasize,  then  and  only  then  is  it  suitably 
made  the  motif  of  a  place.  Efforts  to  produce  it  under  other 
circumstances  are  misguided;  none  more  so  tha:i  the  unhappy 
obliteration  of  boundaries  to  that  end. 

The  position  of  a  dwelling,  and  its  relation  to  other  dwellings 
or  other  buildings  about  it,  show  plainly  where  the  boundaries  of 
the  land  with  which  it  is  furnished,  lie.  Hence  the  observer  is 
never  deceived  by  lack  of  definite  markings.  And  all  the  lovely 
seclusion  and  privacy  which  good  taste  demands  for  the  home, 
and  which  may  be  the  attributes  of  the  tiniest  scrap  of  a  door- 
yard  if  it  is  well  planned,  are  after  all  sacrificed  in  vain.  Only 
barrenness,  or  garish  publicity,  or  vulgar  ostentation  result — 
never  the  delusion  of  space  fondly  and  commonly  hoped  for. 

Boimdaries  should  therefore  be  marked — always.  By  this  I 
do  not  mean  simply  defined  as  property  limits,  but  marked 
defensively — aggressively  if  you  will — as  a  beginning  to  the 
gradual  process  of  home  building  which  is  to  go  on  within  them. 
They  separate  the  home  from  the  outside  world  and  suggest  its 
aspect  of  refuge  and  snug  retreat,  of  safe  and  pleasant  harbor. 
And  the  smaller  the  place  and  more  thickly  settled  the  neighbor- 
hood, the  more  imperative  the  need  for  this  defensive  setting 
apart ;  the  greater  the  gain  from  this  resolute  planting  out  of  the 
big  world  and  planting  in  of  the  little,  individual  one. 

Suburban  plots  are  usually  small  and  cramped,  to  be  sure — 
obviously  too  small  for  a  marginal  planting  of  trees  and  shrubs ; 
but  no  matter  how  tiny  the  place  may  be  there  is  some  suitable 
enclosure  for  it.     It  is  simply  a  question  of  finding  out  what  that 


.::n   ■  iij,i:-'..i'l  witli  ..n  :;vi';i  .  n  '   .;:;te  like   this  gives  distinction 
:ind  character  to  the  simplest  kind  of  enclosing  barrier 


This  architectural  Imundriry  does  not  shut  out  a  glimpse  of  the  garden 
beyond,  yet  it  is  definitely  a  line  between  the  outer  world  and  the  inner 


Boundaries  75 

may  be.  There  is  seldom  anything  better  for  a  small  place  than 
a  hedge.  Whether  it  shall  be  evergreen  or  deciduous  depends 
upon  the  amount  which  is  appropriated  for  its  cost — have  the 
former  if  possible.  Whether  it  shall  be  formally  clipped  or  left 
to  grow  in  natural,  informal  abandon  should  depend  upon  the 
style  of  the  house  and  the  place  generally. 

Nature  offers  the  best  possible  model  for  boundary  planting  on 
a  larger  scale.  Observe  her  treatment  of  any  irresponsible  water- 
course where  some  truant  brooklet  loiters  and  hurries  alternately 
on  its  way ;  or  of  an  old  roadside  where  she  is  left  undisturbed,  or 
along  an  old  fence  or  roughly  piled  stone  wall. 

Look  first  at  the  form — the  general  shape — of  the  mass  of 
wild  growth.  Its  irregular  skyline  will  impress  eyes  that  are 
opened  to  it  at  once,  likewise  its  varying  width  upon  the  ground — 
here  thick  and  dense,  there  sparse  and  thin.  This  irregularity 
and  the  varying  form  are  more  important  than  its  color  or  than 
the  variety  of  plants  composing  it,  for  the  picturesque  charm 
which  distinguishes  it  is  almost  entirely  owing  to  these. 

Then  note  that  the  direction  of  such  a  boundary  changes, 
even  though  it  may  follow  a  generally  straight  line,  and  that  the 
comers  are  never  sharply  turned.  And  finally,  record  carefully 
the  fact  that  Nature  uses  lavishly  one  or  two  kinds  of  plant  and 
allows  only  a  fugitive  specimen  here  and  there  of  others,  half 
hidden  among  them.  A  soHtary  umbel  of  flaming  bunchberry 
which  once  caught  my  eye  from  beneath  a  mass  of  sumach  and 
elder,  along  a  meadow  boundary  near  a  patch  of  old  woods, 
always  recurs  to  me  in  this  connection. 

Who  but  Nature — imless  possibly  a  Japanese — ever  composed 
with  such  cunning  simplicity?  Fifty  bimchberries  would  have 
made  more  show — but  how  much  less  of  an  impression! 

Even  where  space  will  permit  a  border  planting  varying  from 


76      The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

ten  to  twenty  feet  in  width,  it  is  better  to  limit  the  varieties  to 
three  or  four,  rather  than  risk  the  jumbled  and  crowded  effect 
which  is  so  likely  to  result  from  the  use  of  too  many.  Trees  may 
accent  a  point  here  and  there,  but  they  are  not  absolutely  neces- 
sary, for  with  four  kinds  of  shrubs,  properly  selected,  a  suffi- 
ciently varied  skyline  is  assured  without  them. 

A  botmdary  which  seems  to  be  completely  forgotten  nowadays 
is  the  old  plashed  hedgerow— a  style  which  came  from  England 
in  the  early  days  of  the  Colonies.  For  uncleared  land  it  is  sim- 
plicity itself,  and  it  is  by  no  means  impracticable  on  smooth 
and  treeless  wastes,  though  on  the  latter  it  requires  planting  and 
consequently  a  little  more  time  for  results,  of  course. 

On  uncleared  land  a  row  of  saplings  are  simply  left  along  the 
boimdary  line— saplings  of  whatever  may  constitute  the  growth 
cleared  away.  These  are  then  bent  down  along  the  ground  as 
close  as  may  be  and  tied,  each  to  its  neighbor,  to  hold  them  in 
place.  All  the  branches  on  either  side  of  the  line  of  the  boundary 
are  taken  off  close  at  the  boles,  leaving  only  those  on  what  is  now 
the  top  and  the  tinder  side  of  the  saplings,  to  grow.  And  these 
are  "plashed" — that  is  they  are  woven,  in  and  out  and  about 
their  neighbors,  until  a  network  is  well  begun  which  each  suc- 
ceeding year's  growth  will  make  more  dense  and  impenetrable. 

Enough  trimming  back  must  be  done  each  year  of  course,  to 
keep  the  line  even  and  straight.  Climbing  and  prostrate  grow- 
ing vines  or  shrubs,  set  here  and  there  along  the  hedgerow,  soon 
make  themselves  at  home  and  help  in  the  boundary  building. 
And  wild  growths  will  spring  up  of  themselves,  in  short  order. 

Such  a  boimdary  is  not  suitable  for  ^•ery  close  quarters, 
naturally,  but  for  larger  places,  where  natural  lines  may  prevail 
to  a  great  extent,  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  it  is  not  more 
often  used.     A  planting  may  very  easily  be  made  for  it  where 


Boundaries  77 

all  natural  growth  has  long  since  been  eliminated,  in  which  case 
young  trees  of  the  same  species  as  the  native  growth  should  be 
chosen,  if  possible.  Beech,  oak,  dogwood,  alder,  hornbeam — 
anything  that  is  young  enough  to  be  soft  and  pliable,  and  that  is 
indigenous,  is  suitable  for  this  woodsy,  umbrageous  wall  of  old- 
world  charm  and  permanence.  Three  or  four  kinds  may  be  used, 
just  as  in  the  natural  sapling  growth. 

Within  the  outer  boundaries  of  a  place  there  are  numerous 
lesser  "  hmits  "  to  be  marked.  The  service  or  kitchen  yard  needs 
its  screen,  the  vegetable  garden  its  protection,  the  chickens  their 
restriction,  and  perhaps  a  rose  or  flower  garden  its  shelter  and 
seclusion.  Each  of  these  inner  bovmdaries  should  be  made  the 
motif  for  some  particularly  individual  treatment,  thus  combining 
utility  and  beauty.  A  high  service  yard  lattice  is  the  best 
possible  place  for  those  fruit  trees  which  in  English  and  European 
gardens  are  trained  on  walls. 

Arbors  and  trellises  should  always  mark  a  boundary  instead 
of  being  set  aimlessly  down  anywhere,  with  no  reason  for  being 
there.  In  fact  if  there  is  any  one  thing  about  garden  design 
that  I  beheve  needs  emphasizing  more  than  another  it  is  this: 
nothing  should  ever  be  built  or  planted  without  a  reason;  a 
reason,  mind — not  an  excuse. 

Finally,  never  leave  a  fence  or  wall  or  other  boundary  un- 
planted.  Whether  the  defense  which  you  have  adopted  is  a 
brick  wall  or  chicken  wire  strung  on  gas  pipe,  be  not  satisfied 
with  it  and  it  alone.  Give  it  clothing ;  if  there  is  only  room  for 
a  hedge  inside  it  or  for  vines  to  clamber  through  or  over  it,  have 
the  hedge  or  the  vines.  Always  have  some  living  green  to  frame 
the  lawn  and  furnish  the  background  for  flowers,  or  whatever 
may  be  introduced. 

Not  a  single  summer  need  go  by  with  a  fence  or  a  wall  barren, 


yS  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

for  sweet  peas  or  morning  glories — get  the  Imperial  Japanese 
variety — will  cover  it  in  no  time,  while  the  slower,  hardy  stuff  is 
making  growth.  The  evergreen  honeysuckles  are,  of  all  fence- 
climbers,  the  most  satisfactory,  to  me  at  least.  This  not  only 
because  they  are  so  hardy,  and  practically  evergreen,  but  because 
they  blossom  freely  and  fill  the  air  with  such  deUghtful  fragrance. 
Planted  at  ten-foot  intervals  and  "  layered  "  f or  a  couple  of  years 
— a  long  branch  from  each  plant  laid  down  along  the  fence  to 
root,  covered  lightly  at  the  joints  with  earth — they  form  a 
growth  in  a  very  short  time  so  dense  and  compact  that  it  is 
virtually  a  hedge. 

FLOWERING  HEDGES — TRIMMED  OR  LEFT  NATURAL 

I — Berberis  Thunbergii:  Thimberg's  Japanese  barberry;  four 
feet  high ;  any  soil  and  will  endure  shade ;  hardy  everywhere ; 
there  is  no  better  plant,  in  every  way,  for  a  hedge;  dense 
and  defensive,  twiggy,  thorny  growth  which  becomes  like 
a  solid  wall  if  sheared ;  foliage  fine  and  clean,  autumn  color 
brilliant;  bright  scarlet  berries  persistent  all  winter;  at  all 
seasons  beautiful;  set  small  plants  eighteen  inches  apart  if 
the  hedge  is  to  be  sheared,  twenty-four  to  thirty  inches 
apart  if  it  is  to  be  left  natural. 

2 — Berberis  aquifolium:  holly-leaved  barberry;  six  feet  high; 
any  soil;  an  evergreen,  beautiful  in  winter  color;  yellow 
flowers  small  and  numerous  along  the  branches;  blossoms 
in  May;  set  eighteen  to  thirty  inches  apart,  as  above. 

3 — Cratcegus  Crus-galli:  cockspur  thorn;  to  twenty-five  feet 
high ;  any  soil,  though  it  usually  chooses  rather  rich  localities 
when  growing  wild;  flowers  very  like  the  flowers  of  apple 
trees,  white,  in  loose  clusters;  blossoms  in  May  and  June; 


Alwnlute  privacy  and  seclusion  are  secure^l    ny  such  a  treatment  as  this; 
grounds  that  are  on   a  higher  level  than   the  street  are  essential 


The  same  idea,  executed  in  loose  stone  work,  with,  a  boxwood  hedge  and 
minus  the  ivy  on  the  wall;   perfect  seclusion  without  arrogance 


An  entrance  from  a  street  that  is  higher  than   the  property;  here   th   re 
is  an  evergreen  planting  outside  the  wall  to  aid  in  securing  privacy 


On  a  large   place  a  boundary  of  trees,  shrubs  and  llowers   framing    a 
sweep  of  lawn,  suggests  Nature  at  her  best 


Boundaries  79 

prune  not  later  than  August  first;  set  plants  twenty-four 
to  thirty  inches  apart ;  branches  of  this  are  armed  with  long 
and  extremely  sharp  thorns. 

4 — Hibiscus  Syriacus,  cornea  plena:  variety  of  rose  of  Sharon; 
twelve  feet  high ;  any  soil ;  many  flesh-pink,  solitary  flowers 
all  over  the  bush ;  blossoms  in  August  and  September;  prune 
after  flowering ;  set  the  plants  eighteen  to  twenty-foiu-  inches 
apart. 

Almost  any  flowering  shrub  may  be  used  for  a  hedge  that  is  to 
be  allowed  to  grow  in  a  natural  way.  The  selection  is  largely  a 
matter  of  taste  and  personal  preference.  The  following  are 
some  of  the  best:  Spircea  FanZ/oMi/ez— VanHoutte's  spirea; 
Rosa  rugosa — Japanese  rose;  Syringa  vulgaris— common  lilac, 
white  or  purple;  Rosa  ruhiginosa — sweetbriar  rose;  Hydrangea 
paniculata,  grandiflora — great-panicled  hydrangea. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Entrances  and  Gateways 

THE  destruction  of  boundaries  took  away,  among  other 
things,  every  vestige  of  an  excuse  for  one  thing  which  had 
ahvays  been,  on  every  place,  an  object  of  special  considera- 
tion and  painstaking  thought.  It  took  away  gateways  and 
definite  entrance  treatment.  For  naturally  where  no  enclosure 
is,  there  can  be  no  opening  or  gateway  admitting  to  an  enclosure. 
With  the  "within"  and  the  "without"  all  the  same,  and  boun- 
dary lines  obliterated,  gateways  are  imnecessary — though  we 
do  see  them  sometimes,  standing  beside  a  highway  that  is  in  no 
way  divided  from  the  grounds  to  which  they  offer  entrance  and 
pretend  to  give  access. 

And  what  an  air  of  mute  dejection  they  wear  as  if  they 
felt  real  mortification  at  the  ridiculous  position  in  which  they 
find  themselves.  For  surely  nothing  is  less  of  a  necessity  than 
the  fenceless  gate  across  an  entrance,  arotmd  the  supports  of 
which  one  may  skip  as  easily  as  through  it. 

But  if  we  restore  boundaries,  gateways  will  of  course  come 
with  them.  And  we  shall  then  have  once  more  that  feature 
which  goes  a  long  way  in  determining  the  character  of  a  place  ; 
for  the  entrance  to  grounds,  whether  they  are  great  or  small,  is 
an  important  focussing  point.  Here  generali!zation  ends  and 
individualization  begins;  here  the  dweller  within  the  portals 

(80) 


lych  gate  is  hospitably  inviting;  in  a  hedge  or  a  stone  wall  it  is  particu- 
larly eflfective ;  the  frontispiece  shows  the  latter 


Flanked  by  the  poplars  and  the  well  placed  shrubs,   these  gate-posts,  carrying   tiie 
particularly  graceful  gate,  focus  the  attention  with  the  pleasantest  of  impressions 


Entrances  8i 

steps  away  from  the  mass  and  becomes  a  personality.  Hence 
right  at  the  gateway  appear  the  signs  and  tokens  of  that  per- 
sonality. And  hence  the  gateway  itself  is  the  place  at  which 
to  begin  with  careful  consideration. 

Like  every  other  part  of  a  place  the  gateways  or  entrances 
from  the  highway  must  first  of  all  be  appropriate.  Stately  and 
massive  pillars,  supporting  elaborate  gates,  are  only  sviitable 
for  large  and  stately  places,  which  are  enclosed  by  a  wall  of 
correspondiiig  scale  and  material.  But  there  are  gateway 
treatments  for  every  place,  however  small,  that  are  as  suitable 
for  it  as  heavy  masonry  is  for  the  large  place,  though  these  are 
rarely  seen  and  rarely  even  considered,  at  the  present  time. 

Quaint  charm  and  a  certain  exclusiveness  are  always  the 
attributes  of  a  gateway  of  any  size  whatsoever,  that  is  arched 
over  with  vines  or  a  trellis,  or  covered  in  some  manner.  I 
do  not  know  why  it  is  that  this  covering  adds  so  much,  but  it 
does.  It  contributes  a  something  that  makes  for  decorum  and 
dignity,  that  instantly  commands  respect  for  a  place  and  for 
its  occupants. 

Perhaps  it  is  because  entrance  through  such  an  opening  is 
more  like  going  through  a  door  and  into  a  room  or  building,  than 
through  an  ordinary  gateway.  It  is  suggestive  too  of  the  lovely 
old  walled  gardens  and  dooryards  of  the  South,  into  the  leafy 
coolness  and  sweetness  of  which,  through  a  little  door  in  the  high 
brick  or  stone  wall,  one  steps  with  a  gasp  of  surprise,  direct  from 
the  hot  city  pavement. 

Such  gardens  are  the  vestibules  of  the  houses  which  they  lie 
beside,  for  the  entrance  to  the  house  is  only  reached  after  admit- 
tance to  the  garden  has  been  gained — and  the  garden  gate  fastens 
with  a  latch  and  bolt.  The  wall  of  the  garden  is  a  continuation 
of  the  front  wall  of  the  house,  in  which  possibly,  on  the  lower 


82  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

floor  at  least,  there  are  no  windows.  The  rooms  overlook  their 
own  garden  only,  betraying  a  fine  indifference  to  the  vulgar 
things  of  the  street.  Indeed  they  go  further;  they  carefully 
exclude  them.  And  admittance  to  the  groimds  is  obtained  only 
upon  the  summons  of  the  bell  at  the  garden  gate — or  door. 
Truly  these  are  gardens  to  live  in,  gardens  with  an  air  about 
them,  even  though  they  are  small,  and  cramped  by  city 
conditions. 

A  wooden  arch  or  a  lattice-trellis  whereon  vines  may  climb  is 
about  the  simplest  cover  for  a  gateway.  And  winter  and  sum- 
mer it  is  attractive,  if  kept  trim  and  neat;  but  this  is  a  gate 
treatment  which  seems  to  conform  only  to  a  certain  type  of 
house,  and  it  always  has  an  out-of -place  look  unless  such  a  house 
lies  beyond  it.  It  is  a  part  of  the  white  paint  and  green  shutters 
epoch,  of  the  exact  perfection  of  box  borders  and  Colonial  door- 
yards.  It  must  be  painted  white,  like  the  house,  to  look  right ; 
and  it  belongs  above  the  picket  gate  in  a  spotless,  straight  and 
precise  picket  fence.  So  this,  though  an  easy  way  of  securing  a 
desired  result,  is  not  a  very  generally  available  one.  For  pure 
Colonial  architecture  is  not  common. 

Gates  with  hooded  roofs  suit  admirably  the  informal  and  un- 
conventional lines  of  houses  of  the  half-timbered,  bungalow  and 
craftsman  type,  and  have  great,  and  as  yet  almost  entirely  un- 
developed, possibilities.  Executed  in  the  same  wood  as  that 
used  in  the  house  construction,  stained  the  same  color,  they  may 
have  either  a  shingled  or  a  thatched  roof.  The  latter  seems 
actually  appropriate  to  only  rustic  conditions  however,  and  to 
the  general  surroundings  where  such  construction  may  be  in- 
dulged in.  The  gate  itself  in  such  a  structure  naturally  will 
conform  to  the  rest  of  the  structure. 

For  the  entrance  through  a  rough  stone  wall  these  hooded 


Entrances  83 

gates  are  charming;  or  through  brick,  concrete  or  any  solid  sub- 
stance. They  are  perfectly  suitable  and  harmonious  for  use  with  a 
hedge  boiindary  indeed,  if  the  latter  is  trained  high  and  is  dense 
and  wall-Hke  in  appearance.  But  they  are  inappropriate  to 
any  open  means  of  enclosure,  through  which  it  is  possible  to  look. 

Universally  appropriate  to  every  size  and  style  of  place  are 
the  arches  of  boughs  and  of  green  which  are  formed  by  pleaching 
shrubs,  set  at  either  side  of  the  gateway.  Pleaching  is  a  process 
of  tying  together  and  interweaving  the  branches  of  separate 
plants  so  that  they  hold  fast  and  mature  and  continue  growth 
across  the  space  between  the  plants.  It  is  of  all  forms  of  arbor 
the  most  enchanting,  when  well  done,  with  the  proper  kind  of 
shrub  for  its  mediimi ;  but  it  has  never  been  used  in  this  country 
to  any  extent  owing  to  adverse  conditions  which  prevail  during 
our  extremes  of  winter. 

Pleached  alleys  as  they  were  called,  were  the  glory  of  many 
great  English  gardens,  but  even  in  England  where  they  flourish 
famously  and  have  no  difficulties  of  ice  one  day  and  sunny 
warmth  the  next  to  contend  with,  they  seem  not  to  be  in  as  high 
favor  now  as  they  were  long  ago.  There  is  at  least  one  notable 
example  of  this  work  here  in  America,  an  arbor  near  Boston  over 
one  hundred  feet  long. 

For  the  long  alleys  or  arbors  a  framework  of  iron-hoop  arches, 
placed  at  regular  intervals,  is  provided  for  a  number  of  years, 
until  the  branches  have  grown  woody  and  strong  and  are  well 
gripped  together  and  interlocked.  But  for  pleaching  above  a 
gateway  such  a  framework  need  not  be  left  for  any  great  length 
of  time.  The  distance  spanned  is  not  great,  and  the  plants,  being 
more  free  of  light  and  space,  make  their  growth  faster.  There 
is  not  so  much  roof  surface  exposed  to  snow,  either,  in  winter, 
therefore  there  is  less  weight  to  be  supported. 


84  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

A  hedge  of  privet  may  be  carried  in  a  straight  and  unbroken 
hne  the  length  of  a  boundary,  its  gateway  being  an  opening 
provided  by  pleaching  an  arch  at  the  required  point  and  swinging 
under  it,  from  wooden  posts,  a  wooden  gate  of  suitable  design. 
Nothing  ever  looks  more  lovely  in  this  position  than  a  simple 
gate,  painted  white;  and  this  will  ordinarily  suit  any  kind  or 
style  of  house,  when  used  in  this  way,  in  a  hedge. 

The  pleaching  itself  is  done  in  early  spring  by  binding  several 
of  the  longer  branches  down  first  onto  the  framework,  and  tying 
them  with  raffia.  Then  they  are  woven  or  braided  together  and 
tied,  carefully  and  not  very  tightly,  else  their  tips  will  be  choked. 
AU  upstanding  and  outstanding  shoots  are  cut  off  when  the 
pleaching  is  thus  well  begun,  and  a  second  shearing  may  follow 
in  August,  if  there  has  been  much  growth.  Frequent  shearing 
makes  for  density  of  growth  in  this  form  as  in  every  other. 

Privet,  beech,  wych  or  slippery  elm,  willow  and  the  tall  grow- 
ing cornels  {cornus)  may  be  used  for  pleaching,  besides  the  plants 
listed  below.  Of  these  the  willow  and  privet  will  furnish  the 
most  rapid  growth. 

The  tough  wood  of  hombean  however  is  practically  indestruc- 
tible, while  the  flower  effect  of  the  Judas  tree  or  red-bud  is 
exquisite.  Consequently  these  two  are  given  prominence  such 
as  they  seem  to  merit. 


Lists  of  Plants 
for  pleaching 

I — Carpinus  Caroliniana  (or  C.  Americana):  American  horn- 
beam or  blue  beech;  forty  feet  high  sometimes,  but  very 
slow-growing;  endures  pruning  particularly  well. 


.i   wiirihy  bairit-r  bcUveeii   the  outsiJe  world  and  a  home,  in  the  best 

sense  of  the  word;  the  construction  of  this  fence  is  notably  strong  and 

permanent;   the   be?.i'.*v  of  the  desicri  is  striking 


What  delights  may  not  lie  within  such  a  garden  wall  as  this,  which,  once 
built,  grows  mellow  and  more  beautiful  with  time 


Entrances  85 

2 — Cercis  Canadensis:  red  bud  or  Judas  tree;  thirty  feet  high 
sometimes;  any  soil;  rosy  flowers  very  early,  before  the 
leaves;  get  small  young  plants,  not  over  three  years  old,  as 
this  does  not  transplant  well  when  older ;  blooms  when  four 
or  five  years  old. 

WOODY    VINES    FOR    ARCHES 

I — Lonicera  Japonica  (or  L.  HalUana) :  evergreen  honeysuckle ; 

climbs  fifteen  feet ;  any  soil ;  very  fragrant  flowers ;  blossoms 

from  Jime  to  August. 
2 — Vitis  CoigneticB:  crimson  glory  vine;  very  strong,  growing 

to  almost  any  height;  large  heavy  leaves,  unusual  color; 

colors  to  brilliant  scarlet  in  the  autumn,  whence  its  name. 

ROSES    FOR    ARCHES 

1 — "  Dorothy  Perkins : ' '  hybrid  climbing  rose ;  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  high;  flowers  small,  pink,  in  large  clusters;  blossoms  in 
July;  foliage  of  this  is  clean  and  vigorous. 

2 — Rosa  Wichuraiana:  hybrid,  "Pink  Roamer";  fifteen  feet  high; 
hardy  and  strong  growing;  flowers  bright  pink,  single,  two 
inches  in  diameter,  fragrant ;  blossoms  in  July. 

3 — Rosa  Wichuraiana:  memorial  rose;  fifteen  to  twenty  feet; 
hardy  and  strong  with  splendid  foliage — one  of  the  sur- 
passingly good  roses;  flowers  covering  the  plant,  white, 
single,  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  faintly 
fragrant;  blossoms  in  July  and  on  at  intervals  during 
the  summer ;  very  ornamental  red  berries  persist  all  winter. 


CHAPTER  IX 

Deciduous  Trees 

THERE  are  two  distinct  aspects  under  which  the  question  of 
tree  planting,  and  the  shade  and  shadow  resulting  from 
tree  planting,  must  be  considered.  One  is  shade  in  its 
relation  to  buildings,  the  other  is  shade  and  shadow  in  their 
relation  to  landscape  composition— in  other  words  one  is  a 
purely  practical,  the  other  an  esthetic,  aspect.  The  small 
place  is  limited  usually  to  the  former.  The  practical  aspect 
being  therefore  of  more  general  application,  we  will  give  it  first 
attention. 

It  is  very  difficult  not  to  go  to  extremes  in  the  use  of  trees. 
The  tendency  is  invariably  to  plant  either  too  many  or  not 
enough,  according  as  the  planter  loves  "cool  shade"  or  abomi- 
nates "somber  shadow;"  and  in  this  connection,  as  in  many 
others,  personal  prejudice  is  very  strong  and  does  not  take  kindly 
to  being  reasoned  with.  There  is  a  standard,  however,  set  by 
hygienic  demands  as  v/ell  as  by  those  of  beauty— the  two  are  in 
absolute  harmony,  by  the  way— which  will  regulate  this  unruly 
tendency  to  extremes,  if  it  is  permitted  to  do  so. 

In  the  triangle  of  air,  light  and  shade  that  this  subject  of  tree 
planting  resolves  itself  into,  there  is  one  member  which  we  cannot 
Hve  without.  We  need  all  three  of  course,  to  live  happily,  and 
comfortably,  and  healthily;  yet  light  and  shade  are  not  vital. 

(86) 


The  burning  heat  which  glim  ners  over  sunbaked  lawn  and  walks  robs  a  home  of  its 
rightful  attributes  o£  comfort  an_l  restfulness  during  half  the  year 


Fine  old  trees  are  not  to  be  had  for  the  wishing,  yet  there  are  varieties  of  not  too  slow 
growth  which  will  give  a  generous  shade  within  a  few  years  after  planting 


fie 

-    D 


-  '^    o 

;   c  a 

0 


-  ,T1BkWfc1i    h-*  ^ 


3!^ 


Trees  87 

Life  does  not  depart  if  these  are  withdrawn  from  us ;  but  it  does 
immediately  if  air  is  withdrawn.  We  can  live  longer  deprived 
of  anything  else  than  we  can  deprived  of  air — indeed  we  cannot 
live  at  all  if  it  is  taken  away  from  us. 

This  little  abstract  may  seem  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  tree 
planting,  but  it  has.  Anything  that  will  emphasize  the  im- 
portance of  an  element  which  can  be  excluded  from  our  houses 
so  easily,  by  wrong  placing  of  trees,  has  an  important  lesson  for 
prospective  planters  of  trees.  Of  course  foliage  will  never  be 
dense  enough  anywhere  to  smother  anyone,  but  it  can  very 
easily  be  dense  enough  to  seriously  interfere  with  that  free  circu- 
lation of  air  which  is  so  essential  to  comfort  in  hot  weather,  and 
to  health  at  all  times.     That  is  the  point. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  dwelling  situated  in  the  open,  with  no 
trees  near  it,  is  subjected  to  such  a  glare  of  sun  and  heat  during 
the  summer  as  to  seriously  affect  those  living  in  it.  Even  with 
awnings  or  shutters  it  is  impossible,  when  exposed  to  full  stm, 
to  secure  that  depth  of  shade  needful  to  repose  in  scorching 
weather.  Nor  is  a  breeze  sufficient  compensation — man  needs 
rest  from  heat  and  glare  as  much  as  he  needs  cooling ;  something 
to  soothe  his  disquieted  nerves  as  well  as  something  to  lower  his 
temperature.  A  certain  measure  of  darkness  is  comforting  as 
nothing  else  can  be. 

Thus  it  is  evident  that  air  is  not  enough  without  shade.  We 
must  have  both.  But  ventilation  cannot  be  perfect  where  the 
sun's  rays  do  not  reach.  Heat  is  necessary,  in  other  words,  to 
help  us  keep  cool.  So,  though  air  is  the  prime  essential  and 
shade  next,  the  ideal  conditions  provide  all  three.  All  three  are 
what  we  must  aim  to  secure,  the  first  in  fullest  abundance,  the 
second  and  third  in  needful  proportions. 

I  doubt  if  the  real  secret  of  the  relation  between  shade  and 


88  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

a  building — the  thing  which  makes  the  planting  around  it  a 
success  or  otherwise— presents  itself  very  often  to  the  gardener. 
Certainly  I  have  never  found  any  mention  of  it  in  any  work  on 
planting,  though  hints  leading  in  its  direction  are  given  in  one 
or  two  very  ancient  tomes  on  the  subject.  Some  gardens, 
especially  those  of  India  and  other  tropical  countries  where  the 
art  has  been  greatly  perfected,  seem  to  show  a  development  of 
the  idea;  but  it  may  or  may  not  be  conscious.  Yet  this  one 
thing  is  to  my  mind  the  most  important  thing  in  the  whole 
matter  of  shade  tree  planting. 

Trees  should  be  placed  so  that  their  shadows  fall  upon  the 
ground  around  a  building,  rather  than  upon  the  building  itself. 
No  structure  is  ever  one  whit  cooler  for  having  the  sun  kept 
away  from  it  on  any  side,  if  it  shines  directly  and  hot  upon  the 
earth  immediately  about  it.  It  may  look  cooler  from  without, 
but  that  is  all.  Even  a  lawn  reflects  light  and  heat  up  and  back, 
into  windows  and  doors  and  porches;  and  awnings  afford  no 
relief  from  this  reflection,  for  it  rises  imder  them. 

A  house  is  itself  complete  shelter  from  the  sun.  Into  its 
windows,  however,  the  sun  ought  to  shine.  Every  room  should 
have  light,  and  unobstructed  outlook — which  means  of  course 
that  trees  must  not  stand  very  near.  But  this  unobstructed 
outlook  from  windows  and  doors  and  verandas  should  be  cool 
and  inviting,  should  rest  upon  shade  instead  of  a  dazzling  ex- 
panse that  glimmers  with  heat. 

Shade  aroxmd  a  house  means  cooler  air  around  it,  therefore 
cooler  air  coming  in  at  its  open  windows ;  whereas  shade  that  is 
only  upon  it  cannot  affect  the  surrounding  atmosphere  in  the 
least.  Shade  at  a  considerable  distance  from  it  is  of  course 
offset  by  the  intervening  sunny  area,  whence  come  blistering 
little  puffs  of  heat  that  are  the  last  straw  on  a  hot  summer  day. 


Trees 


89 


The  little  diagram  of  tree  arrangement  around  a  dwelling  is 
given  as  a  study  in  shade  only,  and  to  illustrate  the  manner  of 
finding  out  what  results  any  given  arrangement  of  trees  will  give. 
At  noon,  with  the  sun  approximately  a  httle  south  of  overhead, 
the  trees  will  cast  their 
shortest  and  least  shad-  PT''^ 
ow,  and  this  will  of  course 
fall  on  their  north  side. 
The  object  is  to  place 
them  where  this  shadow 
as  it  swings  on  towards 
the  east  and  lengthens,  in 
the  hottest  part  of  the 
day,  is  seen  at  its  maxi- 
mum from  the  house. 

This  has  been  effected 
with  every  tree  as  here 
shown  save  the  two  small  ones  in  the  upper  left  hand  comer,  and 
the  single  one  opposite  on  the  right.  The  latter  is  placed  to  cut 
off  the  hot  sun  of  early  morning,  while  the  two  former,  which 
might  very  well  be  some  tall,  spire-like  tree  such  as  the  Lombardy 
poplar,  will  stretch  their  lengthening  shadows  aroimd  as  the  day 
wanes,  until  they  reach  along  the  grass  to  the  house  at  sunset. 
The  tree  nearest  the  house  is  fifteen  feet  from  it  and,  though  the 
shade  of  several  will  fall  on  the  building's  foimdations  and  part 
of  the  lower  story  at  some  hour  of  the  day,  the  building  itself  is 
actually  in  the  open,  and  the  sim  has  free  access  to  every  side. 

In  passing  it  is  worth  while  to  remark  that  a  house  pla'ced  thus 
at  an  angle  to  the  points  of  the  compass  enjoys  the  greatest 
number  of  those  advantages  which  arise  from  svm  and  weather. 
Every  room  has  sunlight  for  a  little  while  daily,  winter  and  sum- 


Arrangement  of  trees  showing  their  mid-day 
shadows,  which  should  fall  on  the  ground 
about  the  house  rather  than  on  the  building 


9©  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

mer,  and  the  prevailing  south  and  west  breezes  will,  either  of 
them,  strike  two  sides  of  the  building. 

It  is  very  easy  and  always  very  wise  to  work  out  shade  out-of- 
doors  on  the  ground,  using  rather  long  stakes.  Where  there  is  not 
much  space  this  is  particularly  advantageous;  the  direction  of 
the  stake's  shadow  will  of  course  be  the  direction  of  the  tree's 
shadow.  Very  exact  locating  of  a  tree  is  sometimes  necessary 
to  get  shade  just  where  it  is  wanted. 

Always  bear  in  mind  that  the  promotion  of  individual  growth 
is  not  the  most  desirable  thing  to  foster  in  tree  planting.  Sym- 
metrical specimen  trees  are  interesting,  impressive  and  sometimes 
very  beautiful  as  specimens,  it  is  true,  but  the  effect  of  many 
solitary,  evenly  branched  individuals,  even  though  irregularly 
placed,  is  never  equal  to  masses  planted  so  closely  that  their 
branches  intermingle  and  crowd.  Remember  too,  that  though 
it  may  make  no  great  difference  when  viewed  from  a  distance, 
it  always  assures  more  charm  in  a  plantation  to  set  two  trees  of 
the  same  variety  from  six  to  eight  feet  apart  than  to  use  a  single 
tree  anywhere.  Once  in  a  great  while  circumstances  may  war- 
rant the  planting  of  just  one,  but  very,  very  rarely. 

The  species  to  be  used  is  always  a  matter  for  the  exercise  of 
very  great  restraint  and  caution,  and  one  ought  really  to  know 
something  about  trees  before  venturing  to  select.  It  is  better 
to  employ  many  of  one  or  two  kinds  than  one  of  many  kinds; 
and  although  there  must  be  a  certain  amount  of  diversity  to 
prevent  monotony,  we  should  ever  be  mindful  of  the  fact  that 
Nature  continually  presents  thickets,  and  groups,  and  patches, 
dominated  by  one  variety.  Sometimes  there  are  a  few  of  one 
or  two  others,  but  many  times  not.  If  it  is  a  beech  wood  there 
may  be  a  few  chestnuts,  a  sweet-gum  here  and  there,  and  now 
and  then  a  tall,  straight  maple  or  an  oak,  but  these  are  scattered. 


Trees 


91 


The  ranks  of  sleek,  gray,  satin-coated  beeches  rising  on  every 
side  are  in  an  overwhelming  majority  over  all  the  others  com 
bined — a  majority  of  from  75  to  90  per  cent. 

This  proportion  is  not  possible  always  of  course,  nor  necessary, 
but  if  three  trees  are  to  be  planted,  let  two  be  of  one  kind  and 
one  of  another.  If  ten,  use  five  or  six  of  one  kind,  three  of  another 
and  one  or  two  of  still  another,  rather  than  three  of  one  kind, 
two  of  three  others,  and  a  solitary  specimen  of  a  fifth  species  or 
variety. 

There  is  a  system  of  selection  which  has  been  used  in  some  of 
the  best  and  greatest  landscape  parks  in  the  world,  that  is  worth 
considering  by  the  owner  of  even  a  half  acre,  though  he  may  not 
be  able  to  apply  it  fully.  This  is  the  formation  of  groups  com- 
posed entirely  of  different  varieties  of  one  family  or  species. 
Take  for  example  the  maples ;  there  are  in  all  between  sixty  and 
seventy  species,  out  of  which  a  dozen  are  found  in  North  America 
— enough  to  make  up  a  very  respectable  group  from  just  native 
species,  even  though  some  must  be  omitted  as  not  hardy  north. 

The  red  maple  is  a  beautiful  tree  in  winter  and  summer, 
whether  yotmg  or  old,  and  grows  from  eighty  to  one  himdred  and 
twenty  feet  high ;  the  silver  maple  attains  the  same  height  but  is 
distinctly  different  in  habit,  being  more  spreading.  It  is  swifter 
growing  too,  but  its  wood  is  soft  and  branches  and  even  giant 
limbs  are  easily  broken,  therefore  it  has  not  the  permanent  value 
of  the  other  varieties.  The  sugar  maple,  seventy-five  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  is  probably  the  finest  of  the  genus, 
when  all  its  good  points  are  considered.  Beauty,  permanence, 
shade  and  utility  are  some  of  these,  but  unhappily  "  it  is  the  host 
of  many  fungi;"  and  insects  aid  and  abet  their  malicious  work. 
The  black  maple  is  very  Uke  it,  but  differs  in  its  habit  and  the 
shade  of  its  green;  the  large-toothed  maple  is  smaller  and  dif- 


92  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

f erent  from  all  the  rest  in  many  ways ;  the  ash-leaved  maple  or 
box  elder,  quick  growing  and  from  fifty  to  seventy  feet  high — 
this,  by  the  way,  does  not  look  like  a  maple  at  all  to  untrained 
eyes — is  still  different;  and  then  there  are  three  small  species 
which  are  scarcely  more  than  shrubs — the  moimtain  maple, 
growing  to  thirty  feet,  the  striped  maple  which  ranges  from  a 
shrub  to  forty  feet,  and  the  dwarf  maple  of  the  west  which  stops 
at  twenty-five  feet.  These  are  sufficiently  dissimilar  in  size, 
shape  and  color  to  furnish  variety  in  abundance  when  added  to 
the  group. 

The  form  of  a  tree  is  important  architecturally  when  it  is  to 
be  placed  in  intimate  relation  with  a  building  which  belongs  to  a 
distinct  style  or  period.  With  the  Gothic,  for  instance,  trees  of 
the  Gothic  type  should  be  used — poplars  and  any  of  the  spire- 
shaped  evergreens  are  examples — for  harmonious  lines  are  more 
effective  than  those  which  oppose.  This  is  of  course  a  fine  point 
and  need  not  ordinarily  be  raised,  for  ordinarily  our  dwellings 
are  not  designed  with  such  strict  adherence  to  the  purity  of  a 
style  as  to  demand  such  care  in  their  surroundings.  It  some- 
times presents  itself,  however;  usually  after  a  wrong  selection 
has  been  made.  I  mention  it  for  the  benefit  of  those  to  whose 
case  it  may  apply. 

Shade  and  shadow  in  their  relation  to  the  living  picture  which 
all  planting  aims  to  create,  are  subject  to  the  same  laws  of  com- 
position that  govern  the  painter's  use  of  them  on  his  canvas.  A 
landscape  is  cheerful  or  gloomy,  happy  or  sad,  according  as 
light  or  shade  predominate  in  it.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  say 
just  what  the  proportion  shall  be,  and  even  more  difficult  for  an 
untrained  eye  to  determine  just  what  it  is,  in  any  given  landscape ; 
but  approximately  light  and  shade  should  balance,  with  the 
excess  running  a  little  to  shade  under  most  circumstances. 


Trees 


93 


Sharp  emphasis  of  the  contrast  between  light  and  shade  brings 
a  crisp  Hveliness  into  a  composition  that  assures  its  distinction 
and  interest,  tmder  all  conditions  and  in  all  seasons  and  weather. 
Every  means  by  which  such  emphasis  can  be  made  ought  always 
to  be  taken  advantage  of.  A  pool  of  water  in  the  midst  of  dense 
shade,  yet  so  placed  as  to  catch  the  light  and  reflect  it,  is  perhaps 
the  most  striking  example  of  emphasized  contrast,  and  well 
illustrates  the  point. 

In  this  connection  it  is  well  to  remember  that  still  water  greatly 
intensifies  any  effect,  reflecting  as  it  does  shade,  or  sunUght,  or 
sky  expanse.  Especially  is  this  true  of  shade  and  the  gloom 
that  results  from  it  or  accompanies  it.  Deeply  shaded  water 
becomes  black  to  the  eye,  and  correspondingly  suggestive  of 
dark  unpleasantness. 

Trees  vary  greatly  in  their  effect  of  shade,  the  variation  being 
due  usually  to  their  leaf  form.  For  be  it  noted  that  the  amount 
of  shade  with  which  a  tree  impresses .  its  beholder,  is  not  the 
amoiuit  of  shade  which  it  casts,  but  the  amount  which  it  holds. 
Looking  out  upon  a  landscape,  it  is  not  the  shadows  under  the 
trees  which  meet  the  eye — only  a  very  small  proportion  of  those 
are  seen  at  all — but  the  depth  of  shade  which  lies  among  the 
leafiness  of  the  tree's  head.  This,  therefore,  is  the  shade  which 
must  be  considered  with  trees,  in  their  relation  to  a  picture  or 
composition.  Elms,  while  casting  a  perfect  shadow,  do  not  give 
the  impression  of  as  dense  shade  as  maples,  because  their  leaves 
are  differently  shaped  and  smaller.  The  sky  shows  through  an 
elm  top,  but  rarely  through  a  maple  and  almost  never  through 
a  horse-chestnut,  a  catalpa  or  any  other  large-leafed  and  densely 
furnished  species. 

In  sharp  contrast  to  these  heaxy  trees  is  the  white  birch,  so 
delicate  in  leaf  and  color  that  it  is  hard  to  associate  it  with 


94  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

shade  or  shadow.  Indeed  it  rather  seems  as  if  Hght  had  been 
captured  and  were  held  among  its  tender  greens,  instead  of 
shade.  This  tree  therefore  is  particularly  suitable  for  positions 
near  still  water.     It  is  lovely  in  reflection,  and  never  gloomy. 

The  lines  of  a  large  border  planting,  or  the  forms  enclosed  by 
the  lines,  are  very  aptly  likened  to  the  land  formation  along  a 
coast.  There  are  promontories  and  peninsulas,  capes  and  isth- 
muses, with  now  and  then  a  deeply  receding  curve  where  some 
great  bay  or  gulf  sweeps  in  from  the  sea — the  lawn  being  the 
"sea"— and  here  and  there  an  island  or  a  series  of  diminishing 
islands  carried  out  from  a  bold  headland.  Plant  detached  trees 
always  in  this  relation  to  the  mass,  either  as  one  single  island — 
a  tree  or  an  irregular  group  of  trees ;  or  as  a  series  of  islands — 
an  irregular  group  of  trees,  a  lesser  group,  and  then  perhaps  one 
lone  specimen.  In  either  case,  however,  be  sure  that  they  are 
carried  out  from  a  point  or  " headland"  of  the  mass. 

Where  the  most  complete  imitation  of  Nature's  planting  is 
aimed  at,  set  two  or  three  young  trees  into  the  same  hole,  once 
or  twice  among  a  mass.  This  ineffectual  attempt  to  crowd  each 
other  out  is  very  common  among  seedlings,  in  the  woods  and 
out.  The  trick  lends  interest  even  to  those  plantings  which  are 
in  no  sense  intended  to  be  wild,  and  though  the  idea  seems  very 
radical  at  first,  try  it.     It  will  prove  itself  well  grounded. 

Best  of  all,  however,  for  a  small  place,  is  a  fairly  close  adherence 
to  just  one  kind  of  tree — that  is,  to  one  variety  of  a  given  species. 
This  means  a  result  that  is  distinctive  and  full  of  character,  and 
is  more  completely  in  line  with  the  principle  of  mass  planting 
than  any  other  system.  It  carries  the  assurance  of  success  with 
it,  too,  for  if  a  particular  variety  thrives  in  the  soil  and  con- 
ditions prevailing  in  any  given  spot,  the  use  of  that  variety 
insures  a  stand  of  trees  that  are  all  robust  and  strong  growers. 


Trees  95 

To  illustrate  this  scheme  of  planting  from  the  diagram,  the 
two  trees  of  smaller  diameter  than  the  others,  in  the  upper  left- 
hand — or  western — comer,  are  Lombardy  poplars.  Assuming 
that  the  soil  is  a  good  average  one  we  may  select  for  the  five  trees 
next  to  these,  leading  to  the  front,  red  maple.  This  has  already 
been  mentioned  at  the  head  of  the  maple  family.  In  addition 
to  being  a  tall,  upright  growing  tree  which,  at  maturity,  furnishes 
shade  from  high  up,  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  an  elm,  it  is 
a  wonder  of  beauty  in  early  spring  when  the  clusters  of  bright 
red  flowers  open,  long  before  the  leaves.  It  is  indeed  spring's 
most  advanced  herald  among  the  trees,  and  in  autumn  it  is  again 
a  blaze  of  glory  in  the  scarlet  of  its  foliage. 

Next  to  the  red  maples,  out  at  the  boundary  in  front,  a  silver 
birch  may  stand  alone.  Coming  back  to  the  eastern  comer  of 
the  house,  plant  a  linden  nearest,  for  its  fragrance,  with  a  sixth 
red  maple  shouldering  it  and  a  seventh  bringing  up  the  rear  in 
the   northern   comer. 

For  special  soils  selections  may  be  made  from  the  Hsts  given ; 
or,  better  still,  a  choice  determined  by  letting  it  fall,  wherever 
possible,  on  trees  that  have  at  some  time  flourished  in  the  locaUty 
and  that  may  consequently  be  depended  upon  to  do  well. 


Lists  of  Trees 
for  poor  soil 

I — Betula  popuUjolia:  poplar-leaved  birch;  forty  feet  high; 
has  the  smooth  ashy-white  bark  characteristic  of  so  many 
birches;  not  a  long-lived  tree,  yet  valuable  for  a  dry  and 
deserted  sterile  ground. 

2 — Prunus  serotina:  wild  black  cherry;  one  htmdred  feet  high; 


96  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

white  flowers  soon  after  the  leaves  in  the  spring;  small  black 

fruits ;  this  is  a  fine  tree. 
2^—Rohinia  pseudacacia:  black  or  yellow  locust;  eighty  feet  high; 

has  delicate  airy  foliage ;  white  flowers  in  pendant  clusters, 

very  fragrant  and  abundant ;  blossoms  in  May  and  June. 
^—Celtis  occidentalis:  hackberry  or  nettle  tree;  eighty  feet  high 

or  more ;  its  one  aversion  is  swampy  soil ;  endures  shade,  so 

may  be  planted  tmder  or  with  other  trees  or  in  a  dense  group ; 

in  appearance  this  is  something  like  an  elm  to  a  casual 

observer. 

FOR    LOW    AND    WET    SOIL 

I — Quercus  hicolor  (or  Quercus  platanoides):  swamp  white  oak; 
seventy  feet  high,  sometimes  more;  a  fine  and  sturdy  tree 
with  pale  bark,  shaggy  as  it  ages;  silvery-green  foliage  in 
summer  turning  to  yellow  in  the  autumn;  this  tree  hkes  a 
fertile  soil,  in  swamps  or  on  borders  of  streams. 

2 — Betula  nigra  (or  B.  rubra):  red  or  river  birch;  eighty  feet 
high;  bark  reddish  brown  or  gray,  separating  and  rolling 
back  so  that  the  lighter,  warm,  rosy  tones  of  the  inner 
layers  show;  shaggy  and  picturesque;  this  will  thrive  even 
on  swampy  land  that  is  under  water  for  lengthy  intervals, 
or  on  banks  of  streams  or  ponds. 

3 — Fraxinus  nigra:  black  ash;  fifty  to  eighty  feet  high;  very 
slender  trvmk;  bark  dark  gray,  even,  and  closely  furrowed; 
foliage  very  dark  green ;  grows  on  the  banks  of  streams  and 
lakes,  and  in  deep  swamps. 

4 — Larix  Americana:  American  larch,  tamarack  or  hackmatack; 
fifty  to  sixty  feet  high ;  narrow  and  rather  pyramidal  when 
young,  but  spreading  somewhat,  later;  larch  is  a  needle- 
leaved,  cone-bearing   tree  that  is  not  evergreen;   inhabits 


Trees  97 

deep  swamps  and  bogs  and  prefers  northern  exposure; 
grows  rapidly;  this  must  always  be  transplanted  in  very 
early  spring  only,  before  the  growth  has  shown  any  signs 
of  starting;  always  plant  in  groups  of  not  less  than  four  or 
five;  the  earliest  of  all  trees  to  put  forth  leaves;  does  not 
cast  a  dense  shade,  as  the  needle-like  leaves  do  not  offer 
sufficient  obstruction  to  the  sxm. 

FOR   ROCKY    LAND 

I — Quercus  coccinea:  scarlet  oak;  seventy  to  eighty  feet  high; 
leaves  delicate,  bright  and  glossy;  the  autumn  color  of  this 
tree  is  a  particularly  bright  scarlet. 

2 — Quercus  Prinus:  chestnut  or  rock  chestnut  oak;  sixty  to 
seventy  feet  or  more,  with  a  large  sturdy  trunk  excepting 
in  very  exposed  high  and  dry  places,  where  it  may  not 
reach  more  than  thirty  feet;  leaves  shaped  like  chestnut 
leaves. 

3 — Prunus  Pennsylvania:  bird,  pin,  or  wild  red  cherry;  thirty 
to  forty  feet  high  unless  growing  under  most  adverse  condi- 
tions, when  it  may  be  less;  has  reddish-brown,  satiny  bark; 
white  flowers;  blossoms  as  the  leaves  come;  bright  in  effect, 
with  foliage  full  of  Hght. 

4 — Betula  lutea:  yellow  or  gray  birch;  sixty  to  ninety  feet  high; 
in  northern  sections,  less  than  this  in  the  south;  bark  satiny 
and  giving  the  impression  of  a  tone  of  silvery-gray  overlaying 
a  warm  yellow ;  the  bark  and  branches  are  faintly  aromatic ; 
the  tree  is  one  of  the  largest  deciduous- leaved  trees  in  eastern 
North  America,  as  it  grows  in  the  wild  state. 


CHAPTER  X 
Evergreen  Trees 

IEGEND  has  it  that  the  pinon  was  the  first  tree  to  rise  from 
_j  the  bare,  brown  bosom  of  the  earth.  Certain  it  is  that 
something  deep  and  elemental  stirs  the  heart  when  the 
voices  of  all  this  great  whispering  tribe  breathe  their  mysteries 
into  human  ears.  And  equally  certain  it  is  that  evergreens 
always  have  struck,  and  always  will  strike,  the  supreme  note  in  a 
landscape — a  note  that  Hfts  the  imagination  to  splendid  heights. 

But  it  is  all  too  seldom  that  they  are  planted  with  reference 
to  this.  In  modem  gardening  they  are  too  apt  to  be  "  speci- 
mens, ' '  such  as  the  glaucous-f oliaged  spruces,  or  golden  arbor- 
vitaes;  or  else  they  are  relegated  to  the  merely  utihtarian,  and 
planted  as  shelter  belts  for  something  that  stands  before  them 
and  focuses  the  attention.  Which  is  a  great  pity,  for  in  either 
case  the  real  and  lofty  grandeur  of  the  order  is  overlooked  and 
hopelessly  dimmed,  if  not  altogether  obscured. 

To  be  sure,  the  question  of  purpose  must  be  kept  in  mind  quite 
as  much  here  as  in  all  other  phases  of  gardening,  for  a  reason  for 
planting  must  exist,  else  there  can  be  no  excuse  for  planting 
— ^but  this  reason  need  not  altogether  lack  an  esthetic  side. 
Precise,  straight  rows  of  hemlocks  or  spruce  may  afford  shelter 
from  the  wind,  and  may  hide  a  view  that  is  objectionable; 
but  it  is  such  planting,  utterly  devoid  of  imagination  and  feeling, 

(98) 


A  bit  that  is  strongly  suggestive  of   Italy:  certain  sites  and  styles  of  architecture 
develop  this  naturally  and  without  effort,  and  when  this  is  so,  none  can  decry  the  effect 


w^ 


One 


variety  o£  conifer  do:r.:n;iUs  Here,  and  though  deciduuus  uxc.>  Ijack 
up  the  planting  they  are  an  incident  and  not  a  feature 


\  clump  of  Muijho  pines  in  th.-  Day  or  a  anvev.-ay  aoes  not,  ol.>,iilkc  Jie 

'vision  sufficiently  to  be  dangerous,  yet  it  affords  a  rich  mass  of  green 

throughout  the  year  just  where  such  a  mass  is  needed 


Evergreens  99 

and  resulting  in  a  forbidding  gloom,  that  is  largely  the  cause 
of  the  prejudice  which  some  cherish  towards  evergreens  as  a 
class. 

It  is  quite  as  possible  to  group  eflfectively  and  still  secure  pro- 
tection, or  shut  out  objectionable  features,  as  it  is  to  plant  in 
rows  to  do  so — and  in  the  former  case  a  definite  interest  is 
created,  a  bit  of  true  landscape  is  formed,  so  that  the  utilitarian 
is  lost  sight  of  completely  in  the  end.  Nevertheless  the  reason 
for  planting  existed  and  continues  to  exist,  though  it  is  not 
apparent  to  the  observer. 

Fancy  varieties  of  a  tree  are  seldom  worth  while,  whether 
evergreen  or  deciduous — and  this  can  never  be  emphasized  too 
much.  With  evergreens  particularly,  the  temptation  to  indulge 
in  some  of  the  many  novelties  is  constantly  before  the  unwary 
and  the  true  types  or  natural  forms  are  almost  lost  sight  of. 
Horticultural  forms  may  be  interesting  in  themselves,  but  re- 
member that  it  takes  something  with  a  greater  claim  to  con- 
sideration than  "interest"  to  build  up  a  beautiful  picture. 
The  very  quality  too  that  makes  them  interesting  when  they 
are  a  novelty,  is  usually  the  very  thing  that  makes  them  tiresome 
when  the  novelty  has  worn  off.  So  on  the  whole  it  is  the  ordi- 
nary and  accustomed  variety  which  wisdom  will  select. 

Nothing  is  more  beautiful  than  the  familiar  white  pine,  which 
is  native  over  such  an  extended  area  of  the  United  States^ 
and  which  will  grow  practically  everywhere ;  so  what  excuse  is 
there  for  using  a  novelty  in  place  of  it?  No  novelty  can  have 
withstood  the  test  of  generations  as  the  native  has — if  it  had  it 
would  no  longer  be  a  novelty — and  the  weaknesses  it  may 
develop  cannot  even  be  conjectured.  The  changes  which  age 
will  bring  to  it  are  likewise  a  matter  of  guesswork.  For  there 
are  two  distinct  forms  in  the  life  of  the  majority  of  the  cone- 


loo     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

bearers.  The  first— the  youthful— is  regular,  pyramidal  and 
somewhat  formal ;  the  last— the  mature— is  rugged  and  irregular 
and  altogether  quite  different  from  anything  to  be  imagined, 
judging  from  the  earlier.  With  evergreens,  where  we  are  plant- 
ing for  all  time,  these  differences  are  very  important. 

The  period  of  transition  from  symmetry  to  irregularity  comes 
at  about  the  twentieth  to  the  twenty-fifth  year  in  some,  up  to  the 
fortieth  or  fiftieth  in  others.  Hence  it  is  apparent  that  not 
until  a  variety  has  been  grown  for  fifty  years  in  a  given  soil  and 
climate,  can  it  be  said  positively  whether  or  no  it  is  a  success 
under  those  particular  conditions.  Fifty  years  hence  seems  a 
long  way  ofT  in  this  day  and  age  of  haste — and  of  course  it  is  a 
long  way  off— but  building  a  landscape  is  not  a  task  of  to-day 
nor  of  this  year ;  indeed  it  is  not  a  task  that  the  builder  can 
much  more  than  begin.  Even  with  wisdom  and  industry  beyond 
price  at  his  command,  he  still  must  wait  on  Time. 

And  Time  goes  straight  ahead,  even  though  the  builder's 
work  is  ill,  quite  as  bent  on  finishing  it  as  though  it  were  well, 
and  quite  as  determinedly  piUng  emphasis  onto  every  point 
where  emphasis  can  be  made  to  lodge.  This  is  the  thought 
that  ought  always  to  be  before  us— this  is  the  thought  that, 
guided  the  builders  whose  work  now  remains  in  the  wonderful 
old  gardens  of  the  Old  World.  So,  though  we  may  plan  for 
to-day,  and  this  year,  and  the  next,  of  course— plan  to  get  all 
into  the  present  and  out  of  it  too,  that  is  possible — we  shovud 
plan  ahead  at  the  same  time.  Patience  and  this  looking  ahead 
are  always  essential  in  gardening,  but  especially  so  when  the 
subject  of  the  work  is  evergreens.  Keep  an  eye  constantly  to 
the  future.  Have  the  quick -growing,  short-lived  trees  for  the 
immediate  need,  but  do  not  omit  planting  the  slower-growing, 
long-lived  species  to  take  their  places,  in  the  course  of  time. 


One  kind  again;  the  greatest  depth  in  the  plan  .m  the  gDiun.!  i-a  at   the  point  of 
greatest  height  of  skyline;  this  is  invariably  true  of  well  arranged  planting 


A  well-placed  group'  of  young  hemlocks  which  will  be  exceptionally  tine  as  they 
mature  into  a  spicy  grove 


Evergreens  ioi 

All  that  has  been  said  about  fancy  varieties  and  novelties 
applies  with  even  greater  force  to  the  "golden-leaved"  and 
"  silver-tipped  "  conifers  so  much  in  use  at  present.  It  is  always 
a  question  whether  any  tree  or  shrub  with  abnormal  foliage — 
and  variegated  foliage  is,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  abnormal 
— is  in  good  taste;  and  the  doubt  makes  it  safer  to  draw  the 
line  quite  this  side  of  planting  them,  altogether.  Certainly  no 
artist  would  ever  dream  of  painting  them,  unless  many  were 
grouped  together  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  them  the  meaning  and 
force  which  unity  might  express. 

This  is  the  test  which  will  ultimately  decide  the  merit  of  any 
garden  work.  No  planting  can  be  regarded  as  a  complete  sue 
cess  if  it  does  not  offer,  finally,  a  subject  worthy  canvas  and 
paints  and  brushes — and  a  cultivated  eye  and  trained  hand  to 
use  them.  It  occurs  to  me  that  a  soUtary  blue  spruce  in  the 
middle  of  a  lawn  will  hardly  permit  even  its  fondest  admirers 
to  hope  or  expect  this  for  it. 

Generally  speaking,  the  grouping  of  evergreens  should  follow 
the  same  lines  as  the  grouping  of  deciduous  trees.  Fewer  will 
ordinarily  need  to  be  planted  however,  because  of  their  stronger 
individuality  and  dominating  qualities.  They  may  either  be 
combined  with  deciduous  trees  or  planted  by  themselves.  In 
combination  with  the  former,  however,  they  should  occupy  the 
prominent  positions,  and  should  be  in  either  a  decided  majority 
or  a  minority.  Never  use  an  equal,  or  nearly  equal,  number  of 
both  kinds. 

Usually  one  variety  of  evergreen  will  be  found  repeated  more 
or  less  often,  in  any  patch  of  woods  or  within  any  special  area, 
just  as  we  have  noted  previously  that  one  variety  of  deciduous 
tree  is  nearly  always  to  be  found  dominating  in  a  similar  growth. 
The  reason  of  course  lies  in  the  fact  that  all  the  conditions  are 


I02  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

exactly  suited  to  give  to  that  variety  a  little  advantage,  and 
though  other  trees  may  not  be  crowded  out  altogether  they 
do  not  multiply  as  rapidly  as  the  favored  one.  This  leads  to 
a  "mass  effect "  quite  in  line  with  what  Nature  continually 
offers — and  furnishes  the  best  example  possible  of  ideal  plant- 
ing, from  the  practical  as  well  as  the  esthetic  side.  It  is,  of 
course,  in  the  last  analysis,  a  survival  of  the  fittest. 

Learn  what  evergreens  are  best  suited  to  a  place  before  plant- 
ing any,  by  ascertaining  what  are  native  to  the  region,  and  to 
the  immediate  territory.  Then  make  use  of  these  or  their  nearest 
relatives  in  all  broad-scale  planting,  governing  the  selections, 
of  course,  by  the  soil  conditions  of  the  particular  piece  of  land 
to  be  planted.  A  tree  that  may  thrive  on  a  moiintain  side  will 
very  often  not  tolerate  the  moist  valley  at  themovmtain's  feet, 
hence  the  necessity  for  judging  from  those  trees  found  growing 
in  the  immediate  territory. 

Pines  do  not  like  close,  heavy,  clay  soil,  nor  will  they  do  well 
on  shallow  soil  because  they  have  a  long  tap  root.  Loose  sandy 
earth  svuts  them  best ;  and  because  they  have  this  tap  root  that 
reaches  deep  for  moisture,  they  can  endure  dry  soil.  The  white 
pine  is  not  so  particular  as  the  rest  of  the  family,  however,  and 
will  usually  adapt  itself  to  imcongenial  places  very  cheerfully. 
Pines  are  very  intolerant  of  shade,  but  the  latter  will  make  the 
best  of  a  certain  amount  of  this,  too. 

Cedars  are  at  home  on  wet,  even  swampy,  soils,  though  as  a 
matter  of  fact  they  will  do  better  where  it  is  dry.  They  will 
stand  some  shade. 

Spruces  are  shallow-rooted,  which  always  means  that  a  tree 
is  adapted  to  soil  that  is  moist — and  they  thrive  in  extreme  cold, 
being  natives  of  high  altitudes.  They  mind  shade  less  than 
either  of  the  two  first  named. 


Evergreens  103 

Firs  are  trees  of  high  regions  too,  and  some  can  not  endure 
a  dry,  hot  climate  at  all,  unless  shaded  and  given  the  coolest 
spots. 

Hemlocks  are  not  exacting  and  will  grow  in  almost  any  kind 
of  soil  providing  it  is  moist.  Hemlocks  and  white  pines,  by  the 
way,  are  one  of  Nature's  combinations  and  may  often  be  found 
growing  together  in  large  forests,  which  is  a  hint  toward  group- 
ing. Hemlocks  stand  shade  well,  as  well  as  the  close  shearing 
which  makes  them  so  good  for  hedge  service. 

The  use  of  two  or  three  varieties  of  a  species  is  not  to  be 
recommended  with  evergreens  as  with  deciduous  trees.  They 
do  not  take  kindly  to  mixing,  and  either  the  one  variety  chosen 
should  be  used,  or  the  combination  before  referred  to  which 
Nature  herself  furnishes  in  the  hemlock  and  pine.  This,  with 
deciduous  trees  interspersed,  is  as  fine  an  arrangement  as  it  is 
possible  to  make.  Wherever  it  is  possible  to  make  an  evergreen 
group  the  background  for  some  floral  display  it  is  well  to  do  so, 
providing  the  flowers  do  not  detract  from  the  trees.  The  whole 
should  form  a  picture  rather  than  either  one  furnishing  a  feature. 

Rhododendrons  fill  the  requirements  of  such  a  position  per- 
fectly, being  themselves  evergreen  and  harmonizing  as  almost 
nothing  else  can  with  the  dignity  of  the  trees.  It  is  not  by  any 
means  essential,  however,  to  carry  out  such  an  arrangement 
in  order  to  get  the  best  results  from  planting  the  latter,  for  they 
are  sufficient  unto  themselves. 

The  form  of  the  smaller  and  slower-growing  species  is  of  more 
importance  than  anything  else  concerning  them,  for  these  are 
essentially  the  material  for  small  places  and  for  formal  work. 
Some  of  these  are  very  thin  and  long  and  pointed,  others  are 
broad  and  low  and  globular;  selection  in  this  instance  should 
be  gtiided  by  the  style  of  the  place,  of  the  house  and  its  garden, 


104  T"E  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

rather  than  by  any  thought  for  the  garden's  future  appearance. 
This  attitude  is  allowable  to  meet  the  limitations  of  a  small 
place,  if  one  is  willing  to  throw  out  unsuitable  material  as  fast 
as  it  becomes  unsuitable.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  growth  of 
the  horticultural  varieties  which  produce  these  various  forms 
is  so  slow  that,  after  all,  changes  will  seldom  need  to  be  made 
because  of  increase  in  size;  and  the  priming  shears  may  be  de- 
pended upon  to  keep  them  to  the  lines  which  they  are  expected 
to  fill,  if  they  show  any  tendency  to  overstep.  In  many,  the 
forms  are  pretty  well  fixed  and  they  adhere  to  them  without 
pruning. 

Boxwood  should  find  a  place  in  every  garden,  great  or  small, 
the  selection  of  its  form  also  being  guided  by  the  style  of  the 
garden  or  of  the  house.  The  formal,  pyramidal  box  naturally 
takes  its  place  in  the  formal,  stiff  and  precise  garden,  or  at  the 
entrance  of  the  dwelling  that  is  symmetrical  in  its  line.  The 
rugged  and  unconventional  bushy  box  suggests  old  dooryards, 
and  the  easy  lines  and  picturesque  charm  of  farmhouse  or  cot- 
tage, or  the  tangle  of  old-time  gardens— suggesting  at  the  same 
time  its  suitable  environment  beyond  doubt  or  question. 

Ordinarily  evergreens  are  not  regarded  with  any  consideration 
for  their  shade,  yet  they  offer  a  most  restful  depth  of  it  and  a  cool 
dimness  that  deciduous  trees  do  not  have.  The  nearest  trees 
to  a  dweUing,  however,  should  be  from  twenty-five  to  thirty- 
five  feet  distant,  where  their  shadow  cannot  fall  upon  it.  Always 
plant  them  near  enough  together  to  support  and  defend  each 
other  tmder  the  stress  of  severe  storms,  thinning  out  in  subse- 
quent years  when  they  begin  to  crowd.  And  plant  always  two 
deep  at  least— two  deep  in  an  irregular  grouping,  not  two  rows, 
one  back  of  the  other. 

And,  finally,  place  the  deciduous  members  of  a  boundary 


Evergreens  105 

group  or  a  screen  mostly  in  the  background  to  allow  the  ever- 
greens to  show  dark  and  well  defined  before  and  among  them. 
Leave  plenty  of  room  between  the  two  kinds  of  trees — rather 
more  than  between  the  trees  that  are  the  same — remembering 
that  deciduous  trees  expand  very  much  more  and  very  much 
more  rapidly  than  evergreens,  and  therefore  need  a  wider  berth. 


List  of  Plants 
for  poor  soil 

I — Juniperus  Virginiana:  red  cedar;  usually  about  fifty  feet, 
sometimes  one  hundred  feet  high;  this  naturally  reforests 
arid  hills  and  stony,  barren,  abandoned  lands;  will  grow 
also  on  the  seashore. 

2 — Pinus  rigida:  pitch  pine;  sixty  feet  high  or  more;  becomes 
contorted  and  picturesque  with  age;  plant  in  groups  of 
several. 

3 — Picea  pungens:  Colorado  spruce;  sometimes  one  hundred 
feet  high,  and  rapid-growing  for  an  evergreen;  foliage  is  a 
light  silvery  green,  becoming  true  green  with  age. 

FOR    WET    SOIL 

I — Cupressus  ihyoides  (or  Chamoecyparis  thy  aides):  white  cedar; 
seventy  feet  high  or  more ;  grows  in  swamps  which  are  tinder 
water  part  of  the  time. 

2 — Thuya  plicata:  Nootka  Sound  arborvitas,  or  red,  or  canoe 
cedar;  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high  or  more;  native  to 
low  moist  bottom-lands ;  this  has  not  been  used  as  much  as 
it  should  be,  but  happily  it  is  growing  in  favor;  it  is  truly 
a  giant  arborvitae. 

3 — Thuya    occidentalis:  white    cedar    or    common    arborvitae; 


io6  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

reaches  sixty- five  feet  high  in  the  wild  state  were  it  grows 
thickly  on  swamp  grounds. 

EVERGREENS    FOR    ROCKY    SITUATIONS 

I — Pinus  montana:  Swiss  mountain  pine ;  variable,  being  some- 
times forty  feet  high  and  sometimes  a  mere  shrub;  this  is 
more  likely  to  remain  in  the  latter  class  and  stop  growing 
when  it  has  reached  a  height  of  from  six  to  twelve  feet. 

2 — Picea  Engelmanni:  Engelmann  spruce;  sometimes  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  feet  high  at  maturity;  plant  always 
in  a  group. 

3 — Pinus  moniicola:  silver  or  mountain  white  pine;  one  him- 
dred  feet  high;  dense  in  growth;  silvery  in  color. 


Slirubbcry  very  close  to  house  foundations  is  always  doubtful ;  this  mass 

is  ■n-ell_  arranged  as  to  height,  but  the  effect  would  be  better  if   the  line 

were  interrupted  and  the  house  wall  allowed  to  show  part  of  the  way 


In  iLiiidscape  work  the  individual  specimen  must  always  give  way  to  the 
effect  of  the  mass  as  a  whole;  the. number  of  spireas  here  is  of  no  con- 
sequence ;  the  thicket  effect  is 


Common  elder  is  beautiful  in  flower  and  in  foliage  but  it.s  niL-nts  h.i\  e 
not  been  appreciated  fully  as  yet;  if  it  were  difficult  to  gro.v  perhaps 

they  would  be 


Deutzias  are  of  infinite  variety  and  range  from  pure  white  to  rosy  pink; 
one  specimen  is  pleasing,  but  how  much  greater  the  beauty  of  a  half- 
dozen  in  a  riot  of  bloom 


CHAPTER  XI 
The  Use  of  Shrubs 

THERE  seems  ever  to  have  been  an  antagonism  between  the 
view  of  a  plant  which  the  horticulturist  holds,  and  that  of 
the  landscape  architect.  To  the  former  it  exists  as  a 
specimen,  an  individual  that  is  filling  an  important  place  in  the 
world,  in  and  by  itself.  The  spread  of  its  branches  and  the  size 
and  quantity  of  its  blossoms  are  the  things  by  which  he  judges 
it,  and  by  which  he  values  it.  Consequently  the  more  these  are 
increased,  the  more  any  characteristic  is  exaggerated  in  it,  the 
more  valuable  does  it  become  to  him.  Naturally,  therefore,  his 
whole  aim  is  to  provide  it  with  those  surroundings  which  will 
promote  such  exaggeration  to  the  highest  degree. 

But  the  landscape  architect  views  it  from  a  very  different 
point.  A  plant  is  to  him  what  a  single  note  is  to  the  musical 
composer,  or  what  the  tubes  of  raw,  pure  color  are  to  the  painter. 
One  note,  struck  by  itself,  can  mean  nothing,  no  matter  how 
loud  and  startling  or  soft  and  sweet  the  tone;  one  color  in  a 
great  vivid  blotch  on  the  canvas  expresses  nothing,  no  matter 
how  clear  and  striking  it  may  be.  It  is  only  as  the  note  is 
brought  into  relation  with  other  notes,  the  color  with  other 
shades  and  colors,  that  a  composition  takes  shape.  And  plants 
are  subject  to  the  same  law,  producing  nothing  worthy  the  name 
when  isolated. 

(ro7) 


io8     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

It  seems,  sometimes,  as  if  the  time  would  never  come  when 
this  truth  about  them  would  be  realized  by  everybody.  Year 
after  year  sees  the  same  mistakes  made,  even  on  the  great 
estates  where  large  sums  have  been  paid  for  the  services  of 
professionals,  presumably  skilled  and  cunning  in  the  craft.  Yet 
with  all  the  money  spent  the  well  planned  and  well  planted  place 
remains  the  exception,  so  rare  as  to  be  startling  when  one  comes 
upon  it;  while  examples  of  wrong  ways,  wrong  from  their 
fundamental  ideas  up,  are  everywhere.  Almost  every  village 
and  surburban  street  presents  a  solid  front  of  garden  miscon- 
ceptions disheartening  to  behold. 

The  two  views  just  cited  are  of  course  antagonistic,  and 
everyone  can  readily  see  how  utterly  impossible  it  is  ever  to 
make  them  anything  else.  So  no  time  need  be  wasted  in  attempt- 
ing to  harmonize  them.  Instead  let  us  get  at  once  to  the  business 
of  seeing  what  reasons  there  are  for  adopting  one  and  rejecting 
the  other. 

First  of  all  it  is  necessary  to  realize  that  there  are  certain 
special  things,  grown  for  show,  and  for  competitive  shows,  which 
have  no  more  to  do  with  gardening,  considered  as  a  fine  art, 
than  chalk  has  to  do  with  cheese.  The  biggest  Dahlia  in  the 
world,  winner  of  all  the  prizes,  would  add  little  or  nothing  to  a 
garden's  beauty  if  it  stood  outdoors,  among  the  growing  things. 
The  carefully  trained  and  framed  chrysanthemum  plant,  bearing 
a  thousand  blossoms,  might  as  well— yea,  it  might  better — be  a 
coreopsis  bush,  for  all  the  effect  it  would  create  in  relation  to 
other  plants  in  the  border ;  and  the  rose  bush,  coddled  and  pruned 
and  petted  till  it  produces  a  single  four-foot-stemmed  American 
beauty,  becomes  a  sorry  spectacle,  once  its  solitary  flower  is 
plucked.  Yet  the  Dahlia,  the  chrysanthemum  and  the  rose  are 
universally  acclaimed  as  wonderful  horticultural  products. 


Shrubs  109 

These  may  be  exaggerated  examples,  to  be  sure,  but  they 
illustrate  the  point  we  need  to  impress  upon  our  minds — that 
individuahsm  is  not  the  garden's  ideal.  And  though  they  are 
exaggerated,  they  are  after  all  only  the  result  of  going  a  few 
steps  farther  along  the  path  of  individual  culture  than  the  usual 
practice  goes ;  the  practice  which  aims  to  plant  shrubs  in  isola- 
tion "so  they  can  develop." 

Any  view  that  persistently  puts  the  development  of  a  shrub 
before  other  considerations  governing  its  location,  is  a  mistaken 
one ;  and  until  we  once  and  for  all  get  over  cherishing  such  views 
we  shall  continue  to  go  wrong  in  design,  and  to  fail  in  attaining 
our  proper  effects.  Abandon  completely  and  absolutely  the 
mental  picture  that  dissociates  "shrub"  from  "shrubbery," 
and  create  in  its  place  a  picture  which  unites  the  two  so  closely 
that  you  will  come  to  feel  them  one  object,  and  synonymous 
terms. 

Then  live  up  to  this  creation  determinedly,  and  let  no  remarks 
of  misguided  neighbors — however  well-meaning  they  may  be — 
about  things  choking  to  death  and  having  no  chance  to  grow, 
shake  your  resolution  nor  divert  you  from  your  course.  They 
may  think  you  crazy — that  is  to  be -expected — ^but  you  will  know 
that  you  are  not.  And  time,  and  your  grounds,  whether  little 
or  big,  will  be  your  vindication ;  so  what  matter  what  they  think  ? 

It  is  very  simple  if  one  wishes  to  reason  it  out.  Any  plant 
set  in  an  open  space  and  encouraged  to  "  develop, "  is  but  a  few 
steps  short  of  the  plant  trained  with  the  avowed  purpose  of 
producing  phenomenal  flowers  or  fruits:  phenomenal  flowers 
or  fruits  are  of  absolutely  no  merit  as  garden  ornaments,  and  the 
plant  trained  to  produce  them  suffers  a  loss  in  the  process 
exactly  corresponding  to  their  gain.  Hence  it  follows  that  a 
plant — or,  to  speak  more  definitely,  a  shrub — set  singly,  as  a 


no  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

specimen,  in  a  garden  or  for  the  adornment  of  grotmds,  is  an 
anomaly.  Groionds  are  not  adorned  nor  ornamented  by  shrubs 
of  this  kind,  for  it  is  the  shrub  itself  which  holds  attention  vmder 
these  circumstances.  Wonder  and  perhaps  a  certain  crude  ad- 
miration are  excited  by  it — but  the  idea  of  the  place  as  a  whole,  or 
of  a  garden,  is  lost  sight  of  completely.  There  is  no  impression 
of  charm  and  beauty  resting  upon  all ;  of  a  dwelling  rising  from 
a  suitable  setting ;  of  an  outdoors  that  appeals  and  satisfies ;  of 
a  picture  that  is  complete.  These  things  are  all  sacrificed  to  a 
monstrous  something  calculated  to  draw  an  astonished  "oh!" 
from  the  beholder. 

With  the  resolution  always  to  mass  "  shrubs"  until  they  form 
"shrubbery"  and  to  always  plant  them  so  near  together  that 
they  will  interfere  and  encroach  upon  each  other  outrageously, 
firmly  and  immovably  fixed  so  that  nothing  can  shake  it,  let  us 
examine  first  the  points  that  come  up  in  laying  out  the  ground 
plan  of  such  border  or  mass.  The  ground  plan  naturally  takes 
precedence  whether  it  be  gardening  or  architecture  that  one  is 
engaged  upon;  consequently  it  is  upon  that  that  the  gardener 
must  concentrate  in  the  beginning. 

Regularity,  so  far  as  that  implies  planting  in  rows  or  squares, 
is  of  course  to  be  avoided  in  an  informal  shrubbery  border. 
But  haphazard,  grotesque,  zig-zagging  is  not  the  way  to  avoid 
it,  neither  is  what  nurserymen  call  "staggering."  A  carefully 
worked  out  plan  is  the  only  way,  with  an  equally  careful  transfer 
of  it  from  the  paper  to  the  ground.  Such  a  plan  is  made  by 
first  drawing  in  lightly  the  general  large  curves,  representing  the 
inner  line  of  the  shrubbery — the  line  next  to  the  lawn.  It  is 
assumed  of  course  that  the  plot  to  be  planted  has  been  laid  oif  to 
scale  on  the  drawing  paper,  with  all  existing  features  shown. 

Then,  starting  at  either  end,  the  first  shrubs  are  located  at 


A  thicket  composed  of  many  kinds  of  mock  orange,  several  of  each  being  used;  the 

period  of  bloom  varies  enough  to  make  such  a  group  interesting  and  the  intlorescence 

is  quite  different  in  different  varieties 


A  hedge  of  rose  of  Sharon  is  a  mass  of  bloom  when  flowers  are  few ;  this  stands  prac- 
tically any  amount  of  cutting  back  if  it  is  desirable  to  keep  it  to  any  given  height 


Shrubs  i i i 

prominent  intervals  along  this  line — that  is,  at  the  deepest  and 
the  shallowest  portions  of  the  border.  With  these  placed  as  a 
sort  of  general  guide,  proceed  to  work  from  the  back  out  towards 
this  line,  leaving  a  space  of  four  feet  between  the  tallest  and 
largest  growing  shrubs  which  make  up  the  back  planting.  Come 
forward  to  theboundary  border  line  with  the  lower  growing  shrubs, 
finishing  with  the  lowest  of  all,  planted  about  two  feet  back  of 
this  line  so  that  their  branches  may  fall  approximately  upon  it. 

This  working  from  background  to  foreground  insures  an  easy 
and  flowing  line  at  the  edge  of  the  border,  whereas  the  reverse 
method — placiiig  the  shrubs  along  this  inner  border  line  first  and 
working  thence  back  to  the  outside — though  easier  perhaps,  is 
likely  to  result  in  a  stiff  and  hard  inner  line  that  is  neither  natural 
nor  beautiful.  Do  not  attempt  to  have  the  shrubs  along  the 
foreground  line  equally  distant  from  each  other;  rather  avoid  this 
and  let  them  come  as  they  will,  keeping  them  always  from  two 
and  one-half  to  four  feet  apart  at  least.  They  may  in  many 
places  be  five  to  seven  feet  apart. 

The  species  and  variety  of  practically  every  one  should  be 
determined  as  the  shrub  is  set  down  upon  the  plan,  otherwise 
difficulties  will  arise  over  the  distances  between  them.  In  a 
very  large  planting  this  is  not  always  essential  as  there  will  be 
certain  locations  calhng  for  many  of  one  kind.  But  even  here 
it  is  well  to  have  a  general  idea  of  what  each  lesser  group  com- 
posing the  large  group  is  to  be,  as  they  are  set  down.  It  takes 
time— but  it  is  the  only  thorough  way. 

For  field  work  the  plan  is  divided  into  squares  of  convenient 
size,  and  every  shrub  in  a  given  square  is  located  by  a  stake 
driven  into  the  ground,  which  is  labeled  to  correspond  with  the 
label  on  the  plan  and  on  the  shrub.  This  is  done  before  any 
planting  in  that  particular  square  is  begun. 


I  12 


The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 


Reference  has  been  made  in  a  previous  chapter  to  sky  line.  It  is 
as  much  to  be  considered  in  planting  shrubs  as  trees,  for  although 
the  top  of  shrubbery  may  not  cut  the  sky  when  viewed  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  the  outline  of  its  top,  taken  as  a  whole, 
has  an  important  place  in  a  composition.     To  give  this  sufficient 


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The  lawn  ought  always  to  run  into  the  border,  making  little  vistas  that 
suggest  distance  and  space 

variation  there  must  be  intervals  of  comparatively  low-growing 
varieties  that  are  not  backed  up  by  larger  specimens ;  and  these 
intervals,  constituting  the  variation  in  the  "profile"  or  vertical 
section  of  the  border,  must  be  as  carefully  thought  out  and 
planned  as  the  ground  plan  of  the  group. 

Generally  speaking,  they  will  take  the  groiuid  plan  for  their 
guide  and  rise  from  it,  quite  as  the  elevation  of  a  building  rises 
from  its  plan;  but  here,  as  in  architecture,  the  designer  must 


Shrubs  113 

have  the  instinct  which  adopts  the  right  form  and  rejects  the 
others.  The  diagram  appended  shows  the  principle,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  plan  serves  as  a  guide  to  the  profile. 
Notice  that  wherever  the  border  deepens  on  the  groimd,  it  rises 
higher  in  the  elevation.  By  determining  the  grovmd  plan  first 
therefore,  the  elevation  will  rise  from  it  almost  automatically, 
with  no  trouble  to  the  designer  and  no  confusion.  And  a  glance 
at  the  elevation  shows  exactly  where  the  tallest  and  the  lowest 
shrubs  must  stand,  and  the  intermediate  ones  as  well. 

Make  your  plan  therefore  first,  in  rough  sketch  form;  then 
develop  the  elevation  or  profile  above  it  on  the  paper — this  for 
convenience  in  carrying  the  distances  and  lines  directly  from  one 
to  the  other — and  then  proceed  to  the  planting  detail.  This 
matter  of  lines  and  forms  sotmds  very  dry  and  technical  I  know 
when  one  is  longing  for  lilacs  and  roses  and  all  the  summer's 
sweetness,  and  I  can  well  imagine  the  impatience  with  which 
many  a  heart  will  bum  at  the  idea  of  calculating  beauty  in  so 
tinpoetical  a  fashion. 

But  the  most  careful  calculation  is  all  that  genius  is.  really 
— an  "infinite  capacity  for  taking  pains" — and  no  lovely  garden 
ever  just  happened.  I  have  said  it  before  but  it  will  bear  repeat- 
ing, many  a  time  and  oft.  For  it  is  so  little  reahzed — and  so 
true.  Consciously  or  unconsciously  the  creator  of  every  beautiful 
garden  has  calculated  every  effect  of  line  as  well  as  color,  of  back- 
ground as  well  as  foreground,  of  light  and  of  shade. 

And  so  I  have  placed  the  emphasis  on  plan  and  line  especially, 
for  just  the  reason  that  the  thought  of  them  is  so  hateful  to  so 
many.  They  are  classified  in  the  adult  mind  about  as  scales, 
and  five-finger  exercises,  and  grammar  are  in  the  mind  of  the 
child — things  to  be  slid  over  and  gotten  around  by  hook  or  crook 
if  possible.     But  you  cheat  yourself  on  your  garden,  by  such 


114  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

evasion,  quite  as  much  as  you  would  have  cheated  yourself  on 
your  English,  if  you  had  been  allowed  free  rein  as  a  youngster. 
At  last,  however,  with  the  plan  and  sky  line  outlined  before 
us,  we  can  go  on  to  the  joyous  phase  of  shrub  planting — the 
phase  which  has  to  do  with  their  greenery  and  their  flowers  and 
all  their  lovely  poesy,  the  phase  which  is  commonly  considered 
to  be  real  gardening. 

Briefly,  there  are  five  things  constantly  to  have  in  mind  when 
grouping  shrubs;  their  height,  their  time  of  flowering,  their 
flower  color,  their  habit,  and  their  preference  for  sun  or  shade. 
And  there  are  two  things  to  be  aimed  at  in  every  mixed  shrub- 
bery border;  succession  of  bloom  and  harmonious  coloring. 
The  profile  drawing  will  show  locations  as  to  height,  the  ground 
plan  locations  as  to  spread — or  habit.  These  two  are  therefore 
practically  disposed  of  and  predetermined,  so  the  questions  of 
inflorescence  and  sun  or  shade  are  all  that  one  need  trouble 
about.  The  plans  here  given  are  detailed  for  sun;  partial 
shade  will  not  require  any  change  however,  and  complete  shade 
is  a  circumstance  that  is  hardly  likely  to  arise  in  a  border  of  this 
extent. 

Finally,  as  the  last  word,  let  me  urge  the  open  center.  This  is 
more  important  than  grouping,  or  bloom,  or  sky  line,  or  any- 
thing else.  Always  confine  shrub  masses  to  outer  edges  or 
boundaries,  leaving  broad  sweeps  of  lawn  framed  by  them,  but 
never  cut  into  by  either  beds  or  solitary  bushes.  The  single 
shrub  which  the  plan  shows  at  the  end  of  the  mass,  and  the  one 
isolated  from  it,  yet  a  part  of  it,  midway,  are  not  exceptions  to 
this  rule,  for  neither  of  these  breaks  the  continuity  of  the  mass. 
That  is  the  test  always — the  continuity  of  the  mass — whether  that 
mass  is  lawn,  flower  border,  shrub  border,  or  woods  and  thicket. 


Shrubs  115 

List  of  Plants 
shrubs  used  in  the  border  given 

I — Hypericum  prolificum:  St.  John's  wort;  usually  three  feet 
high — varies;  any  soil,  sun  or  shade;  dense-growing  with 
glossy,  dark  green  leaves ;  flowers  yellow,  large  and  numerous ; 
blossoms  continuously  from  July  on  through  September. 

2 — Deutzia  gracilis,  rosea:  dwarf  Deutzia;  four  feet  high;  any  soil, 
sun  or  shade;  flowers  white,  tinged  with  pink,  in  long  loose 
clusters ;  blossoms  in  May. 

3 — Lonicera  Morrowi:  Japanese  bush  honeysuckle ;  six  feet  high; 
any  garden  soil;  flowers  white,  turning  to  yellowish;  blos- 
soms in  May;  covered  with  handsome  ruby  berries  from 
late  in  July  on. 

4 — Diervilla,  Eva  Rathke:  hybrid  Weigela;  six  to  eight  feet 
high;  branches  erect  but  arching  and  spreading;  likes  a 
rather  moist  soil  and  prefers  partial  shade;  shade  is  not 
essential,  however ;  quantities  of  deep  carmin'e-red  flowers ; 
blossoms  in  June  and  on  during  the  summer. 

5 — Forsythia  suspensa,  Fortunei:  golden  bells;  three  feet  high; 
any  soil;  upright  growing  with  low  arching  branches; 
yellow  flowers  along  every  branch  and  twig;  blossoms 
before  the  leaves  appear  in  earhest  spring;  fohage  dark 
green,  clean  and  attractive. 

6 — Hibiscus  Syriacus:  Rose  of  Sharon;  twelve  feet  high;  any 
soil;  erect,  almost  stiff,  upright  growth;  blossoms  from 
July  on  through  September. 

a — variety  Due  de  Bretagne,  rose-colored  flowers. 

l) — variety  Joan  of  Arc,  pure  white,  very  double  flowers. 

y — Syringa  vulgaris:  common  lilac;  twelve  feet  high  or  more; 
any  ordinary  soil;  familiar  lilac-colored  flowers;  blossoms 
usually  about  the  middle  of  May  on  into  June. 


ii6 


The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 


8 — Viburnum  Lantana:  wayfaring  tree;  twenty  feet  high;  any 
soil;  small  white  flowers  clustered  in  dense  flat  cymes; 
blossoms  in  May  and  Jtine;  scarlet  berries  follow. 

9 — Amygdalus  communis  (or  Prunus  Amygdalus),  rosea  plena: 
double  rose-flowered  almond;  peach-like  tree,  sometimes 
ten  to  twenty-five  feet  high;  any  soil;  flowers  large,  pink 
and  showy,  before  the  leaves ;  blossoms  in  April  or  May. 

lo^Hydrangea  paniculata:  hydrangea;  ten  to  twenty  feet  high, 
tree-like;  any  well  drained  soil,  with  plenty  of  moisture; 
flowers  white,  in  large  loose  panicles,  less  heavy  and  dense 
than  in  Hydrangea  p.,  grandiflora,  but  more  pleasing  in 
many  ways;  blossoms  in  August  and  September. 

This  border  requires  eighty-eight  shrubs  to  plant  it.  These 
are  divided  among  the  ten  varieties  as  follows;  of  number  i, 
two  are  required;  of  number  2,  eleven;  of  number  3,  nine;  of 
number  4,  fourteen;  of  number  5,  nine;  of  number  6-a,  eleven; 
of  number  6-6,  eight;  of  number  7,  fifteen;  of  number  8,  seven; 
of  number  9,  one;  of  number  10,  one. 


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A  twenty-five  foot  comer  planting  of 
perpetual  fragrance 


Same   size  comer  planted  with  three 
of  the  commonest  wayfarers 


SHRUBS    IN    SWEET-SCENTED    BORDER 

I — Callicarpa  purpurea:  purple  "beauty  fruit";  four  feet  high; 
any  good  soil;  small  pink  flowers  in  abundance;  blossoms 


Shrubs  117 

in  August;  branches  slender  and  later  weighted  with 
quantities  of  pinkish-purple  berries. 

2 — Phtladelphus  Lenioniei,  Avalanche:  hybrid  mock  orange; 
six  feet  high ;  any  well  drained  soil ;  will  grow  under  trees : 
branches  arching  and  graceful ;  flowers  white,  showy,  along 
the  length  of  the  branches,  very  fragrant ;  blossoms  in  June. 

3 — Calycanthus  floridus:  sweet  shrub,  Carolina  allspice  or  straw- 
berry shrub;  six  feet  high;  any  well  drained  soil,  sun  or 
shade;  solitaiy  brown  flowers,  very  fragrant;  blossoms  in 
June;  branches  and  leaves  also  fragrant. 

4 — Clethra  alnijolia:  sweet  pepperbush  or  white  alder;  eight  to 
ten  feet  high;  likes  a  moist  soil  such  as  woods  afford,  but 
does  well  in  border;  small  white  flowers  in  spikes,  showy 
and  fragrant ;  blossoms  in  July  and  on  through  September. 

5 — Benzoin  odorijeruni:  spice  bush;  twelve  feet  high;  any  soil; 
tiny  yellow  flowers  along  the  naked  branches;  blossoms  in 
March  or  as  soon  as  frost  is  gone ;  very  fragrant,  wood  and 
leaves  also  aromatic. 

SHRUBS  IN  BORDER  OF  THREE  VARIETIES 

I — Rhus  typhina:  staghom  sumach;  eight  to  twelve  feet  high; 

any  soil;  fine  glossy  foliage,   brilliant  auttmin  color  and 

characteristic  "sumach  bobs"  all  winter. 
2 — Sambucus  Canadensis:  common  elderberry;  six  to  eight  feet 

high;  any    soil;  flat    clusters    of    white    flowers,    familiar; 

blossoms  in  early  June;  berries  tiny,  black,  edible. 
3 — Rhus  aroniatica:  fragrant  sumach;  low-growing  usually,  three 

to  four  feet  high,  or  less;  spreading  as  an  undergrowth; 

fine  autumn  color  and  foHage  velvety  in  texture  and  attrac- 
tive always. 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Place  of  Flowers 

IT  is  decidedly  contrary  to  our  American  ideas,  but  it  is  never- 
theless a  fact  that  a  garden  may  be  absolutely  flowerless, 
and  yet  be  lovely.  And  on  the  other  hand,  one  may  have 
a  world  of  flowers  and  yet  have  no  garden,  in  the  true  sense.  In 
other  words,  flowers  do  not  make  a  garden,  revolutionary  though 
the  thought  may  seem.  If  you  are  tempted  to  doubt,  consider 
how  many  places  you  know  where  it  is  possible  to  go  and  look 
at  quantities  of  beautiful  flowers,  but  quite  impossible  to  feel 
or  to  say,  as  you  look,  "  what  a  beautiful  garden!" 

The  conception  of  them  which  immediately  establishes  their 
real  place,  holds  them  to  be  the  garden's  jewels — the  bright  gems 
with  which  its  design  is  embellished  and  "picked  out,"  as  a 
jeweler  would  say.  They  may  be  used  in  quite  as  lavish  abun- 
dance with  this  idea  prevaiHng  as  any  enthusiast  can  wish — 
but  they  will  be  used  quite  differently  from  the  customary 
fashion  of  planting  wherever  fancy  strikes,  and  the  space  pre- 
sents itself. 

However  beautiftd  the  ruby,  the  opal,  the  sapphire  may  be, 
lying  unset  within  one's  hand,  none  will  deny  that  their  loveliness 
is  brought  out  and  shines  to  far  greater  advantage  when  the 
craftsman  has  worked  them  into  proper  relation  with  each  other. 
Associated  with  the  metal  that  forms  a  clearly  thought  out  and 

(ii8) 


Flowers  119 

purposeful  pattern  around  them,  supporting  them  and  binding 
them  into  place,  their  beauty  gains  as  they  attain  to  the  dignity 
of  meaning,  of  purpose.  And,  to  carry  the  analogy  still  farther,  the 
designer  gives  the  eye  intervals  of  rest  from  the  dazzle  of  precious 
stones  in  a  piece  of  jewelry,  which  correspond  exactly  to  the  relief 
from  color  and  brilliance  which  should  be  provided  for  it  in  the 
garden. 

The  rule  of  contrast  that  came  in  for  attention  when  light  and 
shade  were  under  consideration,  here  presents  itself  again. 
Applied  to  the  question  in  hand,  it  shows  us  at  once  that  there 
must  be  places  where  no  flowers  bloom,  in  order  to  accent  and 
emphasize  the  flowery  spots.  It  more  than  hints  that  the  secret 
of  brilliancy  and  a  spirited  liveliness  in  the  garden  Ues  in  the 
liberal  use  of  white  flowers — because,  of  course,  white  furnishes 
a  much  more  vivid  contrast  with  many  colors  than  green,  and 
contrasts  more  vividly  with  green  itself.  Indeed,  white  blossoms 
are  in  one  way  the  most  precious  of  all — the  diamonds  of  the 
collection,  that  enhance  the  colors  of  all  they  are  brought  in 
contact  with  and  at  the  same  time  reconcile  them  to  one  another 
when  they  are  inclined  to  clash.  But  this  I  mention  only  in 
passing ;  the  questions  that  have  to  do  with  color  are  premature 
just  here,  for  the  first  proposition  must  deal  with  the  locating 
of  flowers  in  the  garden — with  the  manner  of  determining  their 
place  in  any  particular  garden  design. 

Sometimes  it  is  easier  to  find  out  what  ought  to  be  done  by 
ehminating  the  things  that  ought  not  to  be  done  than  by  any 
other  process.  I  think  this  is  especially  true  of  gardening,  from 
the  landscape  or  pictorial  side,  at  any  rate.  We  have  grown  so 
accustomed  to  doing  it  wrong  that  the  habits  are  fixed,  and  we 
cannot  oust  them  by  the  accepted  simple  plan  of  ignoring  them, 
and  cultivating  the  right  ones  in  their  places.     They  simply 


120  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

will  not  be  crowded  out,  even  though  the  better  ideas  are  re- 
quired. They  crop  up  continually,  like  noxious  weeds — so  up 
by  the  roots  let  us  drag  them,  and  start  anew. 

First,  here  is  the  flower  bed  habit.  This  is  surely  the  greatest 
abomination  of  them  all!  It  is  going  to  die  hard,  even  with 
those  who  truly  wish  to  kill  it.  Many  there  are,  alas !  who  will 
not  wish  to;  for  its  star  and  its  crescent,  its  circle  and  its  triangle, 
have  so  impressed  themselves  upon  its  victims  that  they  cannot 
see  a  stretch  of  smooth  and  velvet  turf  without  an  instant  tempta- 
tion to  fall  upon  it,  and  carve  some  one  of  these  mystic  symbols 
from  its  heart. 

But  lest  I  seem  imduly  prejudiced,  let  me  hasten  to  say  that 
there  are  places  for  flower  beds — a  few  places — and  that,  in 
their  place,  I  am  not  objecting  to  them  in  the  least.  True,  I 
have  never  been  able  to  see  any  beauty  in  the  gimcrackery  which 
shapes  them  on  the  elaborate  lines  that  good,  wise,  old  Bacon 
dismissed  contemptuously  with,  "They  be  but  toys;  you  may 
see  as  good  sights  many  times  in  tarts ' ' — but  they  need  not  be 
shaped  on  such  lines.  He  spoke  of  the  parterre  filled  with 
colored  sands  instead  of  flowers,  to  be  sure — ^but  the  fancy  beds 
of  to-day,  filled  with  exotic  and  perishable  stuff,  are  the  direct 
descendants  of  these  sanded  parterres;  "knots  or  figures  with 
divers-coloured  earths. 

A  flower  bed  brings  us  again  to  the  flowers'  likeness  to  jewels; 
for  properly  placed,  a  bed  occupies  a  position  in  the  garden  corre- 
sponding to  the  position  of  a  properly  used  jeweled  pin  or  buckle 
on  a  robe.  (I  say  "properly  used'"  to  evade  the  dictum  of 
fashion  which  is  sometimes  known  to  strain  a  point  for  the  sake 
of  adding  a  Uttle  extra  trimming.)  A  study  of  the  costume  of 
any  well  clad  race  will  show  at  once  that  pins  clasp  two  portions 
of  a  garment  together,  or  hold  the  folds  of  some   drapery   in 


o  S 


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Flowers 


121 


place;  that  buckles  buckle  something.  Indeed  by  going  back 
to  derivatives,  the  idea  can  be  emphasized  still  more,  for  "  buckle ' ' 
comes  from  "  bode, ' '  which  is  the  boss  at  the  center  of  the  ancient 
skin-covered,  wicker- woven  buckler  or  shield — the  meeting  and 
gathering  up  of  the  wicker  at  the  center  being  the  reason  for  the 
prominence. 

Here  is  exactly  the  demonstration  of  reasonable  and  proper  use 
that  we  need.  Likening  the  flower  bed  to  a  jeweled  buckle,  it  is 
at  once  apparent  that  the  places  where  it  may  suitably  be  located, 
must  be  focusing  points  in  the  general  design.  They  must  be 
centers;  not  necessarily  in  the  midst  or  middle  of  the  general 
scheme,  but  points  in  the  design  to  which  the  strong  lines  con- 
verge, or  from  which  paths  branch.  In  such  positions  a  flower 
bed  of  simple  form — circular  or  oval  or  conforming  to  the  lines 
which  approach  it — is  in  good  taste.  Elsewhere  it  is  exactly 
what  an  elaborate,  jeweled  buckle  or  pin  is,  when  attached  to  a 
gown  in  some  utterly  and  obviously  useless  position — a  gaucherie 
of  which  one  does  not  like  to  feel  oneself  capable. 

The  beds  which  carry  out  the  design  of  a  formal  garden  are 
of  course  exempt  from  this  condemnation,  having  as  they  do,  a 
very  real  place  in  the  design.  These  too,  however,  should  be  of 
the  simplest  form  and  outline,  and  so  arranged  as  to  give  the 
relief  already  spoken  of,  which  comes  of  suitable  spacing.  All 
other  flower  beds  fall  under  the  ban.  Let  them  be  taboo  to  those 
who  want  them — and  who,  for  wanting  them,  deserve  them. 

In  every  branch  of  landscape  planting  there  is  one  question 
that  ever  and  ever  again  recurs;  that  question  is,  "Is  there  a 
reason  for  doing  this?"  Not  simply  the  personal  reason  of 
like  or  disHke,  but  a  real  reason,  based  on  logic  and  good  sense 
and  utility ;  this  is  the  kind  that  must  be  advanced  to  gain  the 
approval  of  the  highest  standards.     And  this  is  the  kind  that  may 


122  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

be  advanced  for  the  garden  form  known  as  a  "border."  The 
name  alone  impUes  that. 

A  border  follows  something,  borders  something,  ornaments 
something ;  is  an  attribute  of  something  greater  than  itself.  It 
is  secondary  to  some  more  important  thing,  to  a  conception  of  a 
whole — in  the  case  of  a  garden,  secondary  to  some  particular  por- 
tion of  it,  taken  as  a  whole.  Possibly  it  follows  a  walk  or  a 
drive,  or  the  side  of  a  building,  or  the  line  of  a  terrace,  or  the 
margin  of  a  lawn.  It  really  does  not  matter  what  it  follows 
so  long  as  it  follows  something.  So  long  as  it  is  truly  a  border, 
be  sure  that  it  cannot  go  wrong ;  the  limitations  of  that  definite 
name  will  keep  it  what  it  ought  to  be. 

It  may  be  straight  and  narrow,  like  the  path  of  virtue,  or  it 
may  dawdle  along  in  all  manner  of  curves,  according  to  the 
thing  it  follows.  That  is  a  matter  of  secondary  importance  that 
will  settle  itself;  likewise  its  length  is  pre-determined  by  cir- 
cumstances and  sometimes,  though  not  always,  its  width.  A 
border  that  can  be  reached  from  both  sides  may  of  course  be 
wider  than  one  which  must  be  tended  from  only  one. 

Generally  speaking,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  walks  within  private 
groimds  ought  always  to  have  a  border,  on  one  side  anyway,  if  not 
on  both — the  exigencies  of  the  situation  will  decide  this.  The 
hedge,  fence  or  lattice  divisions  between  different  parts  of  the 
grovmds  also  invite  such  treatment,  invariably.  I  should,  how- 
ever, hardly  call  the  planting  of  perennials  in  the  foreground  of 
shrubbery,  a  border  in  themselves,  for  they  are  placed  inter- 
mittently when  thus  used,  and  only  when  they  and  the  shrubs 
are  considered  together,  does  a  "border"  result. 

Any  wild  roadside,  where  Nature  has  been  al-lowed  to  have 
her  way  undisturbed,  is  usually  an  unrivalled  object  lesson  in 
planting,  for  both  color  and  mass.     One  of  the  loveliest  borders 


Flowers  123 

I  have  ever  seen  followed  the  bank  of  a  tiny  brooklet,  as  it  mean- 
dered across  a  meadow  which  lay  at  the  foot  of  a  gentle  slope, 
whereon  dwelt  some  splendid  beeches.  Here  Nature  and  Art 
combined  and  from  early,  tender,  spring  until  the  lusty  autumn, 
color  succeeded  color  in  the  magic  broidery  that  fringed  the  little 
stream,  and  divided  the  pleasaunce  from  a  hay  field  beyond. 

Only  the  native  plants  and  "  weeds ' '  had  found  lodgment  there, 
and  it  was  wild  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word.  One  thing  or 
another  dominated  it  at  different  times  during  the  season,  but 
there  was  never  an  unbroken  line  of  bloom  the  entire  length  of  it. 
Early  in  the  summer  fugitive  clumps  of  iris,  bearing  a  scattered 
dozen  blossoms,  broadened  suddenly  here  and  there  into  great 
masses  which  presented  a  marvel  of  almost  soUd  blue.  Between 
these  masses,  however,  the  blue  gave  way  to  long  stretches  of 
vari-colored  green,  where  no  blossoms  were. 

Later,  marsh  mallows  spread  their  pink  loveliness  like  rosy 
clouds,  at  intervals;  daisies  flourished  in  dazzling  whiteness,  and 
elder  and  the  meadow  sweet ;  then  came  goldenrod,  and  white  and 
purple  wild  aster.  Each  fortnight  or  month  brought  its  domi- 
nant note ;  but  always  there  were  quantities  of  green  and  plenty  of 
white,  so  nothing  ever  clashed  though  each  strong  color  held  over 
until  its  successor  was  well  established.  And  the  whole  length 
of  this  "  border ' ' — several  htmdred  feet — was  always  a  treat  for 
even  the  weariest  eyes,  or  head,  or  heart,  every  day,  all  summer. 

Here  then  is  one  of  the  fiindamental  secrets — if  secrets  they 
be — of  planting  a  border,  or,  speaking  more  broadly,  of  planting 
flowers.  Let  there  be  a  succession  of  dominance,  not  merely  a 
succession  of  bloom.  Let  one  color,  in  different  shades,  be 
repeated,  here  in  a  mass,  there  in  a  few  fugitive  blossoms, 
throughout  the  whole.  By  this  I  do  not  mean  that  other  colors 
are  to  be  excluded,  by  any  means — but  everything  should  be 


124     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

secondary  to  blues  when  blues  prevail,  to  yellows  when  they  lead, 
to  scarlet,  to  pink,  to  any  dominant  hue. 

Of  course  this  means  that  clumps,  varying  in  size,  of  the  lead- 
ing varieties  chosen,  should  be  planted  more  than  once  and  possi- 
bly several  times  in  the  length  of  a  border.  These,  blooming 
simultaneously,  carry  the  color  throughout  the  whole;  then, 
when  they  have  finished  blossoming,  they  furnish  the  necessary 
intervals  of  green,  while  their  neighbors,  who  have  been  their 
green  reinforcement,  go  on  with  the  procession  under  the  color 
which  they  have  to  offer.  White-flowered  plants  of  one  kind 
and  another  will  supply  blossoms  to  keep  each  delegation  com- 
pany, while  odds  and  ends,  planted,  one  kind  in  a  group  here, 
another  kind  there,  may  fill  in  the  "  chinks"  and  give  sufficient 
variation  to  stimulate  interest. 

In  other  words  a  multitude  of  colors  may  and  should  be  pres- 
ent at  all  times,  but  in  this  multitude  one  should  always  be  more 
in  evidence  than  the  others.  It  is  practically  the  same  as  a  color 
scheme  in  anything  else:  a  gown,  a  room,  a  jeweled  bauble,  a 
picture — each  one  has  its  color  motif.  Other  colors  appear,  com- 
plementing sometimes,  contrasting  or  harmonizing,  as  the  case 
may  be,  but  always  secondary  to  the  leading  color.  If  this  is  not 
so,  what  a  disastrous  failure  any  one  of  the  things  mentioned  is 

sure  to  be ! 

Certain  tones  dominate  when  used  in  much  less  quantity  than 
others.  Yellow  for  example  comes  right  out  and  shouts  wherever 
it  appears,  and  for  this  reason  less  plants  producing  yellow  flowers 
are  needed,  than  of  any  other  hue.  Blue,  on  the  contrary,  con- 
tinually retires,  consequently  it  must  be  used  in  profusion ;  this 
is  true  of  purple  also,  only  in  less  degree.  Red  stands  about 
midway  between  the  yellow  and  blue,  growing  less  obtrusive  as 
it  grows  darker.     Remember,  too,  that  blue  is  the  color  to  use 


Flowers 


125 


when  a  sense  of  distance  in  small  space  is  to  be  produced,  or 
actual  space  exaggerated ;  while  yellow  diminishes  space  in  rather 
more  than  inverse  ratio,  bringing  even  remote  points  forward 
and  into  the  picture,  in  a  sometimes  startling  fashion. 

The  kinds  of  flowers  to  plant  are  of  course  largely  a  matter 
of  individual  preferment.  Annuals,  lovely  though  they  may  be, 
can  hardly  be  seriously  considered  in  a  composition  that  must, 
primarily,  be  permanent  in  order  to  enjoy  that  charm  which  is 
one  of  a  garden's  chief  est — that  exquisite  mellowing,  like  fine 
wine,  under  the 
lapse  of  time. 
And  certainly  the 
mixing  of  hardy 
perennials  and  an- 
nuals is  not  advis- 
able, though  there 
is  no  objection  to 
a  few  seeds  of 
some  favorite 
among  the  latter 
being  scattered  in 
a  vacancy,  or  a 
sparsely  filled  spot 
in  a  hardy  border. 

There  is  always 
room  for   a   little 

more,  even  in  a  well  filled  planting,  and  that  is  the  chance  which 
the  quick-growing  annual  may  take  advantage  of;  but  as  a 
class,  annuals  should  be  kept  by  themselves.  Certain  borders 
can  be  given  up  to  them,  such  as  the  space  above  the  early, 
spring-flowering  bulbs.     After  these  have  bloomed  is  plenty  of 


Garden  suggestion  for  a  fifty-foot  square;  simple  lines 
are  best  whatever  the  area 


126 


The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 


time  to  sow  the  seed,  and  neither  kind  of  plant  suffers  by  reason 
of  the  other's  presence. 

A  turf  margin  should  always  divide  borders  from  a  walk,  drive 
or  path,  while  an  edging  of  some  one,  low-growing  white  flower 
or  a  dwarf,  ornamental  grass  is  an  advantage  in  all  other  locations 
except,  of  course,  the  absolutely  informal  and  very  wild. 

The  natural  fashion  of  plant- 
ing certain  things  should  be 
employed  even  though  no  other 
flowers  are  possible — or  even 
though  a  large  garden  may  be 
laid  out  and  luxuriantly  filled 
with  all  sorts  of  rare  and  beau- 
tiful things.  Certain  spots  will 
admit  of  no  other  treatment, 
and  effects  are  possible  that  sur- 
pass all  others  in  charm  through 
this  scattering  with  a  lavish 
hand,  just  as  Nature  herself  scat- 
ters. Every  lawn  thus  may  and 
should  have  its  quota  of  flowers 
growing  in  the  grass,  and  the 
tiniest  lawn  is  not  too  tiny  to 
be  spangled,  for  all  time,  with  the  flowers  of  two  early  blooming 
and  consequently  precious  bulbous  plants  that  are  perfectly 
hardy,  and  that  will  not  be  killed  out  by  ever  so  close  mowing. 
And  grass  that  is  not  to  be  cut  until  late  and  then  only  with  a 
scythe — meadow  growth  or  the  semi-wild — may  be  planted  with 
other  later  flowerii:ig  things. 

The  naturalization  is  accomplished  most  easily,   I  find,  by 
scattering  the  bulbs  from  a  basket  or  pail,  held  high  enough — 


Thirty-five  by  fifty  feet,  de^'eloped  room- 
ily   by    means  of  a  vista  through  the 
entrance  arches  to  sun-dial  and  seat 


Flowers  i  27 

shoulder  height — to  drop  them  with  sufficient  force  to  send  them 
rolUng  in  every  direction.  The  number  of  bulbs  to  be  used  runs 
all  the  way  from  twenty-five  to  a  thousand  or  as  many  more  as 
there  is  space  for.  Spill  them  recklesly  in  the  smaller  groups  by 
simply  turning  the  basket  upside  down;  in  larger  quantities  it 
may  be  given  a  toss  as  it  is  overturned,  flinging  them  just  as 
water  would  be  flung  along  the  groimd. 

They  will  roll  off  in  all  directions  and  some  will  lie  in  close  little 
clvmips  and  others  will  spread  and  journey  far,  and  there  will  be 
bare  spaces  where  none  are.  This  is  exactly  the  way  they  should 
do:  plant  them  just  where  they  finally  He.  When  two  kinds 
are  to  be  used  together,  scatter  the  larger  ones  first,  then  the 
smaller.  This  gives  the  latter  a  chance  to  roll  in  around  the 
former  in  the  same  way  that  they  would  naturally  work  around 
them  underground,  in  the  process  of  growth. 

Lists  of  Plants 

Herbaceous  perennials  is  the  term  commonly  used  to  indicate 
hardy  flowering  plants  which,  given  a  place  in  the  garden,  do  not 
need  renewing  from  year  to  year.  They  do,  however,  need  a 
little  care  and  attention  in  the  shape  of  digging  up  and  dividing 
every  three  or  four  years.  The  tendency  of  these  plants  to 
spread  at  the  roots  causes  them  to  crowd  themselves  in  the  course 
of  three  or  four  seasons;  division  is  therefore  quite  necessary, 
if  they  are  not  to  choke  to  death. 

Herbaceous  plants  die  to  the  ground  every  winter  and  rise 
from  the  roots  each  spring.  Their  stems  are  succulent  instead 
of  woody,  hke  a  shrub ;  and  they  are  of  all  flowering  plants  the 
most  satisfactory,  because  the  most  permanent. 


128  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

HERBACEOUS    PERENNIALS — BLOOM    CARRIED    THROUGH 

SUMMER 

I— Adonis  Amurensis:  bird's  eye;  nine  inches  high;  any  soil, 
Hght  and  moist  being  preferable ;  does  equally  well  in  sun  or 
part  shade;  foliage  femlike;  flowers  broad  and  yellow; 
blossoms  in  April. 

2—Pcsonia  officinalis:  peony;  eighteen  inches  high;  rich  soil — it 
cannot  be  too  rich  nor  too  much  enriched,  for  peonies  are 
greedy;  there  are  a  myriad  hybrids  and  special  lists  are 
issued  by  all  dealers;  the  choice  is  a  matter  of  color  pref- 
erence more  than  anything  else;  the  flowers  of  the  double- 
flowered  forms  usually  last  longer,  on  the  plant  or  cut,  than 
the  flowers  of  the  single  varieties ;  blossoms  in  May ;  flowers 
fragrant  and  as  showy  as  the  finest  roses — this  is  one  of  the 
finest  flowering  plants  in  the  world. 

3 — Lupinus  polyphyllus:  lupine;  three  feet  high;  any  garden  soil, 
give  water  after  sundown  in  very  dry  weather ;  long  straight 
spikes  of  blue  to  white  flowers;  blossoms  in  May;  plant  in 
groups  of  half  a  dozen  or  as  many  more  as  desirable,  or 
possible. 

4 — Phlox  decussata  (or  P.  paniculata) :  hardy  phlox;  two  to  five 
feet  high  according  to  the  variety ;  any  good  garden  soil ;  in 
selecting  phlox  it  is  largely  a  matter  of  seeing  the  plant  in 
bloom  and  choosing  the  colors  preferred,  always  using  a 
quantity  of  white  if  several  colors  are  chosen;  a  color  pro- 
gression leading  from  white  to  deep  red  is  one  of  the  most 
effective  ways  of  using  phlox,  where  there  is  space  for  so 
many  plants ;  in  such  a  planting  all  inharmonious  magentas 
must  be  kept  out  and  only  the  gradually  deepening  pinks 
■  that  blend  used;  get  early  and  late  varieties  and  cut  the 
flower  heads  off  as  soon  as  they  have  faded ;  this  will  insure 


Flowers  i  29 

blossoms  from  ]xme  on  throughout  the  summer;  always 
plant  in  masses,  setting  the  plants  eighteen  inches  apart. 

5 — Delphinium  elatum:  bee  larkspur;  three  to  five  feet  high;  rich 
garden  soil;  tall  slender  spikes  of  blue  flowers,  varying  in 
shade  from  light  to  dark ;  blossoms  in  Jime  and  on. 

6 — Althea  rosea:  hollyhock;  four  to  six  feet  high;  well  drained 
soil,  but  give  plenty  of  water  during  drought ;  double-  and 
single-flowered  forms  are  both  fine ;  as  they  are  easily  raised 
from  seed,  planted  outdoors  where  they  are  to  grow,  it  is 
possible  to  get  a  mixture  of  colors  and  then  save  the  plants 
that  are  most  satisfactory,  after  seeing  them  bloom ;  seed- 
lings will  blossom  the  second  season  if  the  seed  is  sown  before 
July  1 5 ;  as  hollyhocks  are  subject  to  a  fimgous  disease,  it 
is  best  to  start  new  plants  from  seed  every  other  year;  these 
seem  to  be  healthier  than  old  and  established  plants,  coming 
from  roots  that  have  been  long  in  the  garden ;  blossoms  in 

July. 

7 — Digitalis  lanata:  wooly  foxglove;  two  to  three  feet  high;  any 
soil,  rather  Hght  and  rich ;  will  endure  shade ;  flowers  some- 
what funnel-shaped,  ranged  along  the  very  tall,  strong 
upright  stalks  half  their  length,  the  lower  ones  opening  first 
and  the  upper  end  of  the  stalk  continuing  to  grow  higher  as 
the  inflorescence  ascends  it ;  gray,  yellow,  purphsh  or  whitish ; 
blossoms  in  July  and  August;  may  be  raised  from  seed; 
plant  in  masses,  setting  the  plants  from  fourteen  to  eighteen 
inches  apart. 

8 — Clematis  recta:  bush  clematis;  two  to  three  feet  high;  ordi- 
narily rich  garden  soil ;  white  blossoms  in  large  loose  clus- 
ters, fragrant;  blossoms  in  Jime  and  on  through  August. 

g — Chrysanthemum  leucanthemum,  hybrid:  Shasta  daisy;  two 
feet  high ;  any  soil ;  large  white  daisy  flowers ;  blossoms  from 


130  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

July  on  through  summer  and  fall ;  may  be  raised  from  seed 
easily. 

10 — Boltonia  latisquama:  false  chamomile;  three  to  five  feet 
high ;  any  soil ;  flowers  similar  to  the  small  wild  asters  of  the 
fields  and  roadsides,  pink  tinged  with  lilac;  blossoms  in 
July  on  to  September;  produced  in  greatest  abundance; 
use  in  the  back  of  the  flower  border  or  before  the  shrubbery 
border;  may  be  raised  from  seed. 

II — Gypsophila  paniculata,  flora  plena:  double-flowering  "ba- 
by's breath;"  three  to  three  and  a  half  feet  high;  any  soil, 
in  the  sun;  tiny  white  rosette-Uke  flowers  in  abundance 
all  over  the  plant,  making  it  look  like  gauze;  blossoms  in 
August  and  September;  not  likely  to  come  true  from  seed, 
though  it  may ;  plants  are  a  more  certain  way  of  securing  it ; 
plant  from  three  to  five  in  a  group. 

12 — Funkia  subcordaia,  grandiflvra:  white  plantain  lily;  two  to 
two  and  a  half  feet  high ;  any  soil,  in  sun  or  shade ;  large  shin- 
ing, heart-shaped  leaves ;  white  lily-like  flowers ;  blossoms  in 
August  and  September;  excellent  for  edging  a  border  as  the 
foliage  is  charming  throughout  the  season;  plant  singly  or 
in  clumps;  buy  plants. 

ANNUALS    TO    BE    USED    FOR    IMMEDIATE    EFFECT 

1 — Delphinium  ajacis,  hybrid:  annual  larkspur;  three  feet  high; 
likes  a  cool  and  moist  soil;  many  colors — shades  of  pink, 
blue  variegated  and  pure  white ;  get  the  mixed  seeds  or  any 
preferred  color;  sow  outdoors  where  the  plants  are  to  grow 
as  soon  as  frost  leaves  the  ground;  will  germinate  in  about 
a  fortnight ;  thin  until  the  plants  stand  about  a  foot  apart. 

2 — Aster  Sinensis,  hybrid  "Comet":  giant-branching  China  or 
annual  aster;  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  high;  heavy 


Flowers  131 

loam  well  enriched  with  manure  and  treated  to  wood  ashes  ; 
flowers  very  full  and  plumy,  resembling  the  florist's  chrys- 
anthemum; blossoms  in  August;  mixed  colors;  start  seed 
indoors  in  late  March  or  April  for  early-blooming  plants  and 
transplant  the  seedlings  to  out-doors  as  soon  as  frost  has 
gone;  for  later-blooming  plants  sow  the  seed  outdoors 
where  they  are  to  stand,  not  later  than  May ;  plants  should 
be  nine  to  twelve  inches  apart  finally. 

3 — Arctotis  grandis:  African  daisy;  two  to  three  feet  high; 
ordinary  soil,  in  sunny  place;  large  and  showy  daisy-Hke 
flowers,  white  above,  tinged  with  Ulac  beneath;  blossoms 
in  July  and  on  to  hard  frost;  start  seed  indoors  or  in  the 
groiind  after  frost  is  gone ;  will  germinate  in  about  a  week ; 
keep  in  masses  but  give  the  plants  as  much  room  as  they 
seem  to  need. 

4 — Calendula  officinal  is :  pot  marigold;  twelve  inches  high;  any 
light  warm  soil;  flowers  in  all  shades  of  yellow  to  white; 
blossoms  from  early  summer  on  until  frosts  kill  the  plants; 
mixed  seeds  will  give  a  harmonious  collection;  start  in  the 
groimd  as  early  as  possible. 

5 — Iheris  amara,  hybrid  dwarf:  annual  candytuft;  six  inches 
high;  any  soil;  small  upright  clusters  of  white  flowers,  fra- 
grant; blossoms  in  June;  sow  seed  outdoors  early  in  April, 
thin  out  when  the  seedlings  are  an  inch  high ;  sow  again  the 
end  of  May  and  again  late  in  July  for  succession  of  bloom ;  in 
this  way  it  may  be  had  in  blossom  all  summer;  especially 
suited  for  edging. 

6 — Centaurea  cyanus,  double-flowered:  blue  bottle,  ragged 
sailor,  bachelor's  button  or  bluet;  eighteen  inches  high; 
light  soil;  this  may  be  had  in  blue,  rose  or  white,  but  the 
characteristic  color  is  blue,  and  pure  seed  therefore  seems 


132  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

to  be  the  better  choice;  blossoms  from  midsummer  imtil 
frost ;  sow  in  the  ground  as  early  as  possible. 

7 — Cleome  pungens:  giant  spider  flower;  three  feet  high;  any 
soil;  particularly  useful  among  shrubbery,  being  rank  of 
growth  and  showy;  flowers  rosy-crimson  with  a  suggestion 
of  violet ;  curious,  clustered  in  heads  at  the  top  of  the  upright- 
growing  stems ;  sow  seed  in  the  open  ground  as  early  as  may 
be;  thin  so  that  the  plants  may  develop,  but  keep  in  masses 
of  from  six  to  any  desired  number;  very  effective  in  long 
hedge-Uke  border  at  some  distance,  also  useful  for  screening. 

8 — Papaver  Rhceas,  Shirley:  com  poppy,  Shirley  strain:  two 
feet  high ;  sandy  loam ;  single  flowers  in  white  and  shades  of 
pink  to  deep  crimson,  no  two  alike;  blossoms  from  mid- 
summer on;  sow  thinly,  very  early  in  spring  while  ground 
is  cool  and  moist,  where  they  are  to  be ;  poppies  will  not  bear 
transplanting;  thin  to  six  inches  apart;  make  successive 
sowings  during  the  summer  for  successive  bloom. 

g — Phlox  Drummondi,  gmni^"/?om.- large-flowering  annual  phlox; 
twelve  inches  high;  light  loamy  soil;  white,  pink,  lilac, 
crimson  or  primrose ;  sow  in  the  groimd  as  soon  as  possible 
or  indoors  very  early  and  transplant ;  thin  to  about  twelve 
inches  apart ;  blossoms  from  midsummer  on ;  keep  in  masses. 

JO — Mathiola  incana,  hybrids:  stocks,  "  cut-and-come-again ; " 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high ;  deep  garden  soil ;  white,  pink, 
blue,  yellow  or  lilac  flowers  crowded  along  the  erect  stalks ; 
blossoms  in  July  and  on ;  sow  seed  indoors  in  March  for  early 
flowers  and  transplant  on  a  cloudy  day;  or  sow  in  the  ground 
as  early  as  possible ;  get  seed  in  mixture  or  in  any  preferred 
color. 
The  length  of  blooming  period  for  annuals  depends  almost 

entirely  on  the  planting   of  the   seed.     The   earlier  the  seeds 


Flowers  i33 

are  started,  the  earlier  will  the  flowers  come,  of  course.  But 
with  even  the  very  earliest  possible  sowing  out-of-doors  the 
blossoming  period  can  hardly  be  reached  before  July.  It  usually 
extends  to  frost  however,  and  if  it  does  not,  successive  plantings 
will  carry  it  on  as  late  as  one  may  choose. 

The  ten  varieties  here  given  are  all  that  a  good-sized  garden 
should  attempt  to  entertain.  Grouped  and  arranged  according 
to  the  methods  which  would  be  followed  with  hardy  perennials 
in  the  same  amount  of  space,  there  is  no  reason  why  these  should 
not  furnish  as  lovely  and  brave  a  feast  for  the  eyes  as  perennials. 
It  is  simply  a  question  of  arrangement— of  keeping  to  the  stand- 
ards of  line  and  form  and  mass. 

Bulbs  for  Naturalizing 

for  close  cut  lawn 

Scilla  Sihirica:  Siberian  squill;  four  inches  high,  lily-Uke 
leaves ;  any  soil ;  plant  in  quantities  of  never  less  than  twenty- 
five;  set  the  bulbs  out  in  early  autumn,  planting  to  a  depth 
of  twice  their  diameter;  flowers  a  deep  and  beautiful  blue, 
on  an  erect  stem;  blossoms  in  March  and  April;  endures 
shade  nicely. 

Galanthus  nivalis:  common  snowdrop;  six  inches  high;  ordinary 
soil,  which  should  however  be  cool  and  shady,  where  mid- 
summer sun  cannot  reach  the  ground  to  bake  the  bulb; 
flowers  white,  solitary  and  drooping ;  blossoms  in  March  and 
sometimes  earlier,  coming  actually  through  the  snow ;  plant 
in  quantities  of  never  less  than  twenty-five — fifty  or  a  htm- 
dred  will  be  better;  the  foot  of  a  tree,  either  evergreen  or 
deciduous,  suits  them  admirably;  for  meadows,  orchards 
and  fields. 


134  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

Narcissus  poeticus:  pheasant's  eye  or  poets'  narcissus; 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high;  any  soil  that  is  thoroughly 
well  drained;  famihar  white  solitary  flowers,  fragrant; 
blossoms  in  May ;  plant  this  only  where  the  grass  is  not  cut 
until  late  June  and  then  only  cut  with  a  scythe. 

Orniihogalum  umbellatum:  star  of  Bethlehem;  six  inches  high; 
foUage  hly-like  and  abundant;  flowers  white,  numerous; 
blossoms  in  May;  plant  in  patches  often  to  twenty-five  or 
any  nvmiber  desired,  where  grass  is  not  cut  by  a  lawn  mower. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
Winter  and  the  Garden 

THE  garden  should  be,  always,  a  delightful  place,  "a  very- 
pleasant  spot,"  according  to  the  old  definition  of  the 
word.  Yet  this  is  just  what  it  so  often  is  not,  in  winter — 
not  because  of  the  winter,  but  because  of  our  way  of  meeting  the 
winter.  The  forlorn  dejection  of  rose  bushes,  trussed  up  in 
straw  until  they  look  like  tombstones,  is  too  woeful  a  sight  for 
even  the  stoutest  hearted  to  behold  unmoved.  Rhododendrons 
enclosed  with  chicken- wire,  with  a  litter  of  autumn  leaves 
covering  them  and  filling  their  disreputable  cages,  are  a  distress- 
ing and  ignominious  transformation  from  the  summer's  royal 
splendor.  And  all  the  other  homesick  little  things  that  are  shut 
up  in  dark  box  or  barrel  prisons — how  their  loneliness  and  dreari- 
ness penetrates!     It  is  more  chill  than  winter  wind. 

All  shrubs  are  of  course  hardy  in  their  native  clime;  therefore 
the  simplest  way  out  of  the  question  of  winter  protection  of 
plants  is  to  evade  it  altogether  by  using  only  native  species. 
These  will  not  need  protecting.  However,  it  is  useless  to  counsel 
such  restraint  as  this,  I  know;  no  one  will  practice  it,  for  there 
are  too  many  lovely  things  that  grow  in  kindlier  climes  than  ours 
and  yet  that  may  be  grown  here,  "  with  winter  protection, ' '  for  us 
to  resist.  The  next  best  thing  therefore  is  to  find  a  way  of  giving 
this  protection  with  the  least  possible  offense  to  the  eye. 

(135) 


136  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

The  thought  of  it  should  always  lie  back  of  every  garden's 
arrangement.  Every  garden  may  be  planned  so  that  the  pro- 
tection of  its  delicate  citizens  need  not  present  such  difficulties 
as  it  commonly  does.  It  is  only  a  question  of  beginning  right, 
just  the  same  as  practically  all  the  other  garden  questions — 
beginning  right  and  using  common  sense,  along  with  a  little 
ingenuity. 

First  of  all  it  is  necessary  to  know  just  what  it  is  that  con- 
stitutes the  winter's  danger  to  vegetation.  Commonly  we  think 
of  it  as  being  the  cold,  and  the  snow  and  sleet  and  storms  gen- 
erally; but  as  matter  of  fact,  these  are  not  as  grave  a  menace  to 
many  things  as  the  stmshine.  The  rays  of  the  sun  stimulate 
plants  to  premature  activity  if  allowed  to  fall  directly  upon 
them,  on  even  what  may  seem  a  cold  winter  day ;  and  this  pre- 
mature activity  is  what  is  so  fatal.  Winter  protection  is  designed 
to  keep  warmth  away  from  them — to  keep  them  in  the  cold 
quite  as  much  as  it  is  to  keep  them  from  it — in  other  words,  to 
keep  them  dormant  during  the  season  when  they  should  be 
dormant. 

The  sunlight  that  is  injurious  to  their  tops  is  just  as  injurious  to 
their  roots  too ;  for,  although  it  only  reaches  ground  above  the 
roots,  it  thaws  this  after  it  has  frozen,  and  warms  it  too  much 
during  the  middle  of  the  day.  Then  follows  a  chill  when  the 
sun  sets  and  freezing  begins  again.  So  the  groiind  aroxmd  roots 
needs  protecting  as  well  as  the  top  of  the  plants;  indeed  this 
shielding  over  the  roots  is  all  that  many  very  tender  things 
require.  Some  of  the  most  disastrous  winters  have  demon- 
strated this  beyond  question. 

Nature's  own  protection  is  leaves — leaves  scattered  on  the 
ground  where  the  roots  get  the  benefit  of  them.  Nature  groups 
her  vegetation  too,  so  that  one  plant  affords   defense  for  its 


Thunberg's  barberry;  especially  lovely  in  winter  with  its  flaming  red  berries 


All  the  viburnums  bear  ornamental  fruits,  some 
red,  some  black,  some  purplish 


The  fat  white  berries  of  the  snowberry  are  familiar  to  everyone ;  a  bush 
grew  in  all  grandmothers'  gardens 


Winter  137 

neighbor.  Large  trees  shelter  smaller  ones,  and  these  in  turn 
shelter  lower  growing  shrubs — and  creeping  things  wander  in 
and  out  beneath  these ;  and  all  are  snug  and  shaded  and  suitably 
protected,  without  a  single  straw  jacket,  or  chicken-wire  cage,  or 
barrel  prison.    Thus  we  see  that  it  is  first  a  matter  of  arrangement. 

Roses  are  perhaps  the  most  difficult  things  to  deal  with,  in 
winter  as  well  as  in  summer — that  is,  if  one  cares  to  have  them 
attractively  placed  in  the  landscape.  That  they  shoiild  grow  in 
an  enclosure  set  apart  for  them — a  rose  garden — I  always  insist. 
But  even  when  so  placed,  they  are  ghostly  and  forlorn-looking 
when  jacketed  in  straw.  Locate  the  rose  garden,  in  the  first 
place,  with  the  idea  of  its  winter  exposure  in  mind.  See  that 
this  exposure  is  such  that  the  roses  are  protected  by  some 
growth  of  shrubbery  or  evergreens — a  hedge  or  a  border — from 
the  prevailing  winds,  if  these  are  severe. 

Make  the  beds  from  six  to  eight  inches  lower  than  the  surface 
of  the  ground  around  them.  This  is  a  vast  improvement,  in 
summer  as  well  as  winter,  over  beds  level  with  the  walks,  espe- 
cially if  the  walks  themselves  are  grassed.  The  view  across  the 
rose-garden  is  not  interrupted  by  bare  and  unattractive  earth 
patches  showing  around  the  plants,  if  this  method  is  followed; 
and  when  winter  approaches,  the  bushes  may  be  bent  down, 
tied  each  to  its  neighbor's  base,  or  to  a  stake,  and  the  space 
around  and  above  them  filled  until  it  is  a  little  more  than  level 
with  the  general  surface. 

Leaves  of  the  oak  are  unsurpassed  for  this  filling,  but  straw 
is  perhaps  easier  to  get,  in  most  instances.  With  this  a  rough 
thatch  that  will  help  in  shedding  water,  should  be  formed;  and 
over  all  some  branches  of  evergreens  or  of  any  tree  may  be  laid, 
to  hold  it  from  blowing  away.  This  work  should  not  be  done 
however,  until  there  has  been  a  freeze  which  will  have  driven  the 


138  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

field-mice  into  winter  quarters,  else  they  may  take  up  their 
abode  among  the  straw  and  dine  on  the  roses'  winter  buds,  as 
field-mouse  living  goes  up  under  the  season's  advance. 

Such  a  covering  for  roses  is  unobtrusive  and  inoffensive;  it 
does  not  suggest  the  dismal  side  of  winter,  and  it  is  quite  as 
effective  as  boarded-over  shelters,  providing  the  shelter  belt  of 
shrubs  or  evergreens  is  properly  placed.  Both,  however,  must 
be  resorted  to,  to  make  the  work  assuredly  well  done.  Usually 
branches  of  hemlock  may  be  used  to  clothe  almost  anything 
requiring  it,  in  such  a  way  that  the  objectionable  features 
attending  the  use  of  straw  are  entirely  done  away  with,  and  a 
resemblance  to  a  small  evergreen  tree  is  created.  Where  a 
shrub  must  be  boimd  up,  I  should  advise  always  using  such 
material. 

Personally  however,  I  should  have  nothing  in  a  garden  which 
required  elaborate  winter  cover.  Some  of  the  tenderest  things 
are  grown  in  chilly  northern  sections,  with  simply  a  suitable 
arrangement  of  windbreaks  and  shelter  belts.  A  specimen  of 
the  giant  tree  of  California  has  been  raised  from  a  tiny  seedling 
until  it  has  reached  a  height  of  probably  forty  feet,  on  a  Long 
Island  estate,  by  placing  it  in  such  a  position  that  winter's  fury 
is  tempered  by  hardier  native  trees,  which  do  guard  duty  on 
every  side.  These  are  not  close  to  it,  but  they  are  so  placed  that 
what  one  fails  to  intercept  in  the  way  of  winter  wind,  the  next 
one  catches — and  the  protection  is  very  complete  without  in  the 
least  obscuring  the  Sequoia. 

A  large  garden  should  have  provision  for  its  tender  plants — if 
its  gardener  insists  upon  growing  them — in  the  form  of  pits  and 
outside  cellars.  Whatever  cannot  be  protected  without  calUng 
attention  to  its  infirmity,  and  thereby  spreading  an  atmosphere 
of  gloom  over  all  the  landscape  that  is  within  view,  should  be 


The  graveyard  effect  which  comes  of  using  many  tender  plants  and  trying 

to  make    them    comfortable    during    the    winter    detracts   greatly  from    the 

pleasure  of  having  a  garden 


Christmas  Roses  bloom  actually  through  the  snow,  and  will  sometimes 

show  flowers  from  October  to  spring,  without  protection:  this  is  the  sort 

of  thing  worth  while 


3  ._« 


^^^( 

-.,* 


—    CM 


o  o 


-M 

OJ   i-   P 

C  1-  t: 
yi    (jj    u 

•".??; 

t/5  ^  O 

■^  I-  "^ 

;:^  a:  u 

^  ''  O 

^  >-u 

rt  flj  a> 

Mj  S 

c3  *^ 

O  cj 

V]  ^ 

Cu    O 

-^  o 

^  j; 


\     ■!.;    V. 


Winter  i  39 

taken  up  and  housed.  Whatever  may  be  protected  by  a  mulch 
of  leaves,  or  straw,  or  sod,  or  by  branches  of  evergreen,  or  by 
twining  herbaceous  vines  around  or  above  it,  so  that  it  is  not  a 
blot  on  the  landscape,  may ,  of  course,  remain. 

With  this  matter  of  protection  met,  through  shelters  that 
are  not  an  offense  to  the  eye,  the  question  of  introducing  some- 
thing into  the  garden  that  will  be  a  positive  feature  of  winter 
beauty,  should  be  considered.  There  are  shrubs  innumerable 
that  have  bright  berries,  and  others  with  beautifully  colored 
bark — and  all  shrubbery  is  decorative,  when  well  placed,  even 
out  of  leaf.  Just  the  lacy  mass  of  its  bare  branches  against  the 
snow  is  charming,  or  their  warm  color  against  the  browns  of 
vegetation  generally,  or  against  the  deep  tones  of  evergreens, 
when  these  form  the  backgroimd. 

Masses  of  cornel  give  ruddy  warmth  to  the  comer  where  they 
live;  the  black  alder  holds  its  bright  red  berries  practically  all 
winter ;  rugosa  roses  bear  hips  as  large  as  French  chestnuts  that 
are  a  lovely,  translucent  scarlet-orange;  the  purple  barberry  is 
purple  in  branch,  leaf  and  berry;  the  viburnums  have  fruits 
that  are  scarlet,  blue-black,  and  pink-and-duU-blue ;  while  the 
old-fashioned  snowberry  and  its  twin,  the  Indian  currant,  are 
familiar  to  everyone,  with  the  fat  white  berries  of  the  first, 
btmched  in  odd  sizes,  offering  a  most  attractive  contrast  to  the 
coral  of  the  latter.  But  more  decorative  than  all  other  fruits, 
perhaps,  are  the  berries  of  the  corky  euonymus,  and  its  relatives 
of  the  spindle  tree  family.  These  are  contained  in  a  capsule, 
which  bursts  as  the  fruit  ripens,  rolling  back  to  show  the  brighter 
colored,  or  differently  colored  seeds  within.  The  capsule  is 
usually  a  bright  orange-scarlet ;  the  seed  itself  is  black  in  one 
variety,  a  deeper,  brighter  red  than  the  capsule  in  some  others, 
and  almost  white  in  another. 


140     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

So  it  is  not  difficult  to  plan  an  all-the-year-roimd  garden  when 
planning,  and  cheat  the  winter.  And  in  a  climate  where  so 
many  months  are  dull  and  colorless,  if  not  actually  wintry,  this 
is  something  which  ought  never  to  be  overlooked.  It  is,  in  fact, 
hardly  too  much  to  say  that  winter  should  have  as  much  con- 
sideration in  the  arrangement  of  the  garden  as  summer. 

Where  frosts  are  likely  to  come  late  in  the  spring  or  early  in 
the  fall,  a  windbreak  or  shelter  which  is  so  dense  that  it  does  not 
allow  the  passage  of  air  at  all,  tends  to  encourage  them  by 
keeping  the  air  still  within  the  space  which  it  encloses.  Still 
air  is,  of  course,  favorable  to  frost.  For  this  reason  privet  is 
better,  in  some  situations,  than  a  denser  hedge  which  excludes 
all  wind.  It  is  a  matter  of  tempering  the  wind,  rather  than 
shutting  it  out  altogether.  Privet,  as  I  have  already  said,  holds 
its  leaves  nearly  all  winter  and  grows  so  twiggy,  through 
repeated  prunings,  that  it  forms  an  impenetrable  barrier  to 
animal  life,  and  likewise  to  snow  and  biting  winds. 

An  evergreen  winter  garden,  enclosed  with  a  hedge  so  high 
that  winter  is  shut  out,  is  something  which  every  all-the-y ear- 
round  home  should  boast,  for  the  encouragement  which  it  will 
give  to  outdoor  life.  This  may  be  somewhat  apart  from  the 
subject  under  consideration,  but  I  feel  that  it  should  be  men- 
tioned, because  we  are  dealing  with  winter  in  the  garden.  Where 
there  is  space  to  set  apart  such  a  spot,  even  though  it  is  very  tiny, 
it  ought  to  be  done.  Surround  the  evergreen  shelter  hedge — 
which  need  not  be  trimmed,  by  the  way,  unless  one  prefers,  but 
may  grow  unrestrained — on  the  outer  side  with  a  shelter  planting 
of  deciduous  native  trees,  mingled  with  evergreens.  Carry  the 
"walls"  of  the  garden  north  and  south,  so  that  all  the  sun's 
warmth  may  pour  down  unobstructed  into  it ;  furnish  it  with 
some    weatherproof   rustic  or  white-painted,    wood    seats,    or 


Winter 


141 


benches,  and  a  table — then  get  into  the  habit  of  loitering  there 
an  hour  daily,  during  the  sunniest  time  of  day. 

All  plants  have  a  winter  beauty  quite  as  distinctly  their  own 
as  the  flowers  which  they  bear  in  summer.  Observation  and 
study  of  them  in  winter  alone  will  teach  it — for  it  is  brought  out 
or  obscured  very  often  by  the  plant 's  situation  and  surroundings. 
In  developing  a  garden,  aim  to  find  out  what  particular  quality 
each  plant  depends  on  for  this  winter  charm.  Learn  to  look  at 
winter  landscapes  as  having  something  positive  to  offer — and 
to  look  at  plants  in  winter  undress  as  likewise  having  a  positive 
beauty,  and  not  the  merely  negative,  dead-and-gone-to-seed 
aspect  which  long  habit  has  made  us  associate  with  them.  Then, 
having  found  this  beauty,  group  and  arrange  the  garden  to  bring 
it  out  to  its  best  advantage. 

Generally  speaking,  a  group  that  is  pleasing  in  summer  will 
not  be  bad  in  winter,  though  this  may  not  follow  if  the  work 
is  highly  artificial.  The  final  test  of  garden  and  gardener,  is 
the  test  of  winter.  Truly  good  work  will  be  good  in  winter, 
with  no  unsightly  winter  armament  guarding  delicate  interlopers, 
to  disfigure  the  picture.  For,  when  all  is  said  and  done,  that  is 
the  last  word  in  gardening,  whether  it  is  realistic  or  foj-mal;  it 
builds  a  picture.  Whether  it  is  a  picture  that  lies  under  a 
mantle  of  snow,  or  under  the  staid  brown  of  autumn,  or  under 
the  radiant  green  of  young  spring,  should  not  matter;  the 
picture  quality  must  be  there.  If  it  is,  no  season  can  take  it 
away. 

List  of  Plants 

shrubs  for  briu.iant  winter  effect 
I — Rosa  lucida  (or  R.  humilis,  lucida):  wild  rose;  six  feet  high; 
showy  clusters  of  crimson  fruits  on  bright  red  stems,  con- 


142  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

spicuous  from  September  on  through  February;  single, 
bright  pink  flowers  in  June  and  July. 
2 — Viburnum  cassinoides:  withered  or  Appalachian  tea;  six  to 
eight  feet  high;  upright  growing,  with  brownish  gray 
branches;  bears  dense  clusters  of  berries  that  are  pink, 
changing  to  deep  blue,  all  gradations  appearing  at  once, 
in  one  cluster;  small  white  flowers  in  dense  heads,  in  June 

and  Jtily. 
^—Cornus  stohnifera:   red   osier;    eight    feet    high;    spreading 
bush  with  bright  crimson  winter  bark;  bears  abundantly 
white  berries  slightly  tinged  with  blue;  small  white  flowers 
in  dense  showy  heads,  in  June. 
4 — Berberis  vulgaris:  common  barberry;  eight  to  ten  feet  high; 
pendulous,  sweeping  branches,  weighted  along  their  length 
by  clusters  of  vivid  scarlet  berries,  persisting  all  winter; 
fragrant  yellow  flowers  in  early  spring;  one  of  the  most 
attractive  of  the  berry-bearing  shrubs, 
e — Viburnum  dentatum:  arrowwood;    fifteen  feet  high;    dense- 
growing,     vigorous    upright     shrub     with     gray-stemmed 
branches,  bending  under  a  load  of  brilliant  blue  berries 
that  last  vmtil  hard  freezing   weather;   quantities  of  tiny, 
faintly-sweet  flowers,  in  close  heads,  in  May  and  June. 
6 — Cornus  candidissima:  panicled  cornel;  fifteen  feet  high;  up- 
right dense  shrub  with  gray  smooth  branches ;  warm- white 
berries  on  red  stems  lasting  through  October;  white  flowers 
in  profuse  clusters  in  May  and  June. 
In  grouping  these  in  a  border  planting,  the  rose  may  be  used 
for  facing  down  before  the  others,  its  given  height  of  six  feet 
being  its  height  at  the  middle,  not  at  the  outer  edges.     Its 
branches  spread  and  arch  enough  to  come  well  down  to  the 
ground.     The  barberry  is  also  suitable  for  the  same  location. 


Climbing  roses  are  always  possible  along  the  walks  of  the  vegetable  gar- 
den, carried  on  arches  of  wire  or  of  wood  lattice 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Vegetable  Garden  Beautiful 

THE  vegetable  garden  is  very  badly  treated.  Our  attitude 
toward  it  is  unfortunate,  both  for  ourselves  and  for  it — 
and  there  is  no  excuse  for  it.  There  is  positively  no 
reason  for  hiding  it  in  out-of-the-way  comers,  or  squeezing  it 
into  grudgingly  yielded  spaces,  if  really  worthy  care  and  thought 
are  given  it.  If  it  began  with  a  plan  just  as  painstakingly  worked 
out  as  that  for  a  flower  garden  or  a  landscape  we  would  have 
no  reason  for  hiding  it. 

Vegetable  gardens  are  not  usually  attractive  from  an  esthetic 
point  of  view,  to  be  sure — but  small  wonder  w^hen  we  consider 
how  shabbily  these  most  useful  of  all  gardens  have  been  dealt 
with,  for  time  out  of  mind.  They  have  been  given  no  chance  to 
be  beautiful,  because  everyone  is  thoroughly  convinced  that 
beauty  and  utility  are  hopelessly  incompatible — in  gardening 
anyway.  Daily  we  hear  more  and  more  about  beauty  and 
utility  being  sister  and  brother — some  are  even  putting  forth 
the  claim  that  they  are  twins — still  no  one  ever  seems  to  think  of 
testing  the  truth  of  the  assertion,  outdoors,  on  and  in  the 
ground. 

Yet,  if  it  is  true  at  all,  this  is  just  as  true  outdoors  as  it  is  in; 
with  plants  and  fruits  as  with  furniture  and  fittings.  In  the  old, 
old  days,  in  the  old  world  when  gardening  was  carried  on  behind 

(143) 


144     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

protective  walls  of  massive  stone,  and  only  the  monastery  gardens 
escaped  pillage  and  destruction  under  the  incessant  warfare  of 
the  times,  flower  gardens,  as  such,  were  unknown.  Gardens 
were  a  vital  necessity  and  not  an  ornamental  luxury  in  that 
stem  age.  They  were  stocked  with  those  plants  which  furnished 
either  food  or  medicine,  with  no  room  for  aught  else.  But  many 
of  the  latter  were  the  flowering  plants  which  are  the  isolated  and 
pampered  aristocrats  of  to-day's  gardens;  so  after  all  the  old- 
time  utility  did  not  mean  the  grim  utiloveliness  which  modem 
garden  methods  have  led  us  to  associate  with  the  word. 

It  is  just  a  return  to  this  ancient  sincerity  and  simplicity  that 
I  would  urge,  in  the  development  of  our  present-day  gardening. 
This  by  no  means  implies  approval  of  a  potato  patch  adjacent 
to  the  entrance  drive  or  cabbage  under  the  living-room  windows. 
It  only  implies  a  plea  for  a  sane  restoration  of  useful  vegetation — 
and  by  useful  I  mean,  in  this  instance,  of  practical,  material 
use — to  its  rightful  place  and  dignity. 

We  are  called  a  nation  of  suburban  dwellers,  yet  there  are 
thousands  and  thousands  of  suburban  places  in  the  land  where 
a  vegetable  garden  is  never  dreamed  of,  though  much  time  is 
spent — and  money  too— in  the  care  of  flowers  and  lawns,  and 
in  "polite  gardening."  Students  of  economics  have  recently 
pointed  out  that  the  enormous  waste  which  this  system  entails, 
is  unquestionably  one  of  the  causes  of  the  high  cost  of  living, 
under  which  American  shoulders  are  groaning.  This  seems 
more  and  more  reasonable,  the  more  it  is  considered. 

Eight  plots,  50  X  TOO  feet,  are,  roughly  speaking,  equal  to  one 
acre  of  land.  Reser\'ing  one-third  of  such  a  typical  plot  for  the 
house,  and  one-third  for  lawn  and  as  a  concession  to  neighborhood 
conventionalities,  there  remains  one-third  for  garden.  Multiplied 
by  eight  this  amounts  to  one-third  of  an  acre;  and  one-third 


An  entrance  to  a  vegetable  garden  which  is  singularly  appropriate  and  ex- 
tremely simple;  a  grape  vine  festoons  it,  and  flowers  border  the  path 


Even  without  a  ilL-sij^ii  tlierc  i ,  iv.il   Lctuty   lu   neat  borders  i"r   the   walks  and   Well 

trimmed  hedge  boundaries 


Within  this  old  box-bordered  area  vegetables  and  flowers  dwell  in  friendly  mtimaey  . 
the  splendid  stone  wall  closes  the  place  in   from  the  street,  while  the  white  fence 

divides  garden  and  lawn 


Vegetable  Garden  145 

of  an  acre,  under  the  intensive  farming  system,  will  produce 
all  the  vegetables,  with  the  exception  of  potatoes,  that  a  dozen 
people  can  eat  in  a  year.  We  may  consider,  therefore,  that  for 
every  eight  subtirban  places,  the  vegetable  food  of  twelve  per- 
sons is  sacrificed;  all  because  of  an  artificial  attitude  which 
looks  shamefacedly  at  a  vegetable  garden  as  something  inele- 
gant and  vulgar.  Surely  we  are  able  to  put  all  this  affectation 
away,  once  it  is  realized,  without  great  effort.  Let  us  turn  our 
backs  on  these  old  ideas  and  get  at  the  problem  of  beautifying 
the  Vegetable  Garden,  taking  as  much  pains  with  it  as  we 
would  with  a  Rose  Garden,  or  a  Garden  of  Old-time  Perennials. 

To  this  end  we  must  see  first  what  its  demands  are — what  the 
culture  of  vegetables  absolutely  requires — regardless  of  where 
they  are  planted,  or  what  they  are.  Undisputed  possession  of 
well  and  constantly  tilled  soil  is  their  one  imperative  need. 
That  is,  they  must  not  be  crowded  by  weeds,  by  other  plants, 
nor  by  each  other — though  all  vegetables  really  may  be  planted 
much  closer  together  than  the  old-fashioned  farmer  commonly 
puts  them. 

The  chief  obstacle  therefore  in  the  way  of  securing  a  pleasing 
effect  where  vegetables  are  grown,  is  the  amount  of  brown  earth 
necessarily  exposed.  In  a  flower  garden,  where  masses  are 
thrown  together  luxuriantly  and  individual  specimens  are  not 
desired,  the  earth  is  covered;  but  this  sort  of  treatment  simply 
cannot  be  resorted  to  in  raising  vegetables.  Neither  is  a  ground 
cover,  no  matter  how  low  growing  it  may  be,  permissible,  for 
any  plant  other  than  the  vegetable,  will  steal  moisture  and 
food  which  should  be  its  individual  and  undivided  own. 

We  have  here  nothing  worse,  however,  than  the  identical 
problem  which  confronts  the  rose  grower,  for  roses  are  quite  as 
particular  about  their  residence,  and  will  brook  no  intrusion. 


146  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

Yet  the  rose  enthusiast  is  not  balked  by  it.  For  want  of  the 
best  solution,  though,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  the  beauty  of  most 
rose  gardens  is  very  seriously  impaired;  for  even  with  roses 
blooming  all  around,  the  eye  instinctively  longs  for  something 
more  refreshing  and  pleasing  than  bare  earth,  beneath  them. 
The  one  satisfactory  solution  for  the  rose  garden  is  sunken  beds 
with  grass  walks  dividing  them;  and  this  is  likewise  the  vege- 
table garden's  redemption — this,  and  that  beautiful  order  which 
is  the  first  law  of  all  things.  A  vegetable  garden,  to  develop 
the  highest  beauty,  must  be  perfect  in  its  formality  and  balanced 
symmetry. 

Beds  lowered  six  inches  below  the  general  level,  with  turf 
walks  four  feet  wide,  outlined  with  low  flower  borders  for  main 
divisions;  and  walks  of  a  foot  less  width,  similarly  edged  or  not, 
for  subdivisions,  will  produce  an  effect  that  no  one  who  has  not 
tried  it,  nor  seen  it  tried,  can  conceive  possible  with  such 
respected  but  socially  vmcultivated  plants  as  beets,  lettuce, 
radishes,  salsify  and  the  like.  Plan  such  a  garden  on  paper  as 
carefully  as  any  landscape,  centering  it  on  some  division  of  the 
house  if  possible.  If  this  is  not  practical  let  a  walk  leading  to  it 
be  its  axis,  and  plan  from  this. 

Make  its  form  whatever  the  space  permits ;  it  will  not  matter 
whether  it  is  a  square  or  a  rectangle,  if  it  is  planned  on  an  axis 
ninning  either  way.  Do  not  over-elaborate  the  design  nor 
introduce  intricate  forms  in  the  beds — this  is  bad  taste,  whether 
flowers  or  vegetables  are  to  fill  them — and  be  careful  to  arrange 
so  that  the  low-growing  vegetables  shall  occupy  the  central 
positions,  with  the  taller  kinds  at  or  near  the  garden  botindaries. 
Perfect  orderliness  must  guide  the  planting  of  every  seed  sown, 
and  immaculate  neatness  must  reign  in  the  garden  at  planting 
and  perpetually  thereafter  as  it  grows. 


Vegetable  Garden 


147 


The  plan  given  is  for  an  area  of  50  x  100  feet.  The  same 
amount  of  care  that  would  keep  a  lawn  this  size,  with  flowers 
and  shrubbery  planted  on  it,  in  perfect  order,  will  take  care  of 
such  a  garden  as  it  shows.     The  vegetables  for  it  wotdd  of  course 


i^\>a.Ycu^u.a 


— ^.™.        ^<Nlr>„  f'l   '■ 


r 


if         ^^'         _ 


Suggestion   for  the  development  of  a  vegetable  garden  enclosed  with 
a  lattice  or  fence.     The  paths  are  all  of  turf 

be  selected  according  to  the  gardener's  taste,  and  from  it  all  that 
from  four  to  six  people  could  eat,  with  the  exception  of  potatoes, 
would  be  harvested. 

While  all  of  the  above  applies  especially  to  gardening  within 
a  very  limited  space,  the  little  effort  required  to  design  and  lay 
out  a  vegetable  garden  on  Hnes  that  shall  please  the  eye  and 
satisfy  the  ever-constant  craving  for  beauty  and  charm,  is  well 
expended  no  matter  how  wide  the  domain.  Indeed,  I  am  not 
sure  but  the  large  place  owes  it  to  itself  and  to  the  world  at 
large,  to  take  especial  pains  in  this  direction.  For  it  is  to  the 
large  place,  where  money  expenditure  does  not  have  to  be 
reckoned  so  carefully,  that  all  places  look  for  an  example  and 
for  inspiration. 

A  vegetable  garden  once  laid  down  on  good  lines,  with  garden 


148  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

omamerts  exposed  here  and  there,  at  suitable  spots— a  dial  with 
a  rose  clambering  arotind  its  base,  perhaps,  or  a  fountain, 
or  a  bird  pool  to  encourage  the  presence  of  the  bird  allies,  so 
that  they  may  be  early  and  often  on  hand  to  devour  the  pernicious 
worm — may  be  as  permanent  as  any  formal  flower  garden. 
Rotation  of  crops  is  perfectly  feasible  within  its  limits,  as  well 
as  the  successive  planting  which  prolongs  the  enjoyment  of  its 
products — and  if  it  is  enclosed,  as  I  should  strongly  advise 
its  being,  fruit  trees  trained  in  the  European  fashion  upon  its 
walls,  add  just  so  much  more  to  its  advantages,  as  well  as  to  its 
very  real  beauty. 

List  of  Plants 

Edging  Plants 
Annuals  will  be  better  for  edging  the  beds  and  the  walks  in 
the  vegetable  garden  where  the  work  is  done  by  horse  power. 
Perennials  are  likely  to  be  trampled  badly  and  the  lines  along 
which  they  are  planted  destroyed  when  plowing  is  done.  Annuals, 
not  being  sown  until  after  this  is  finished,  are  not  in  the  way  and 
consequently  do  not  suffer.  Perennials  may  be  used  where  the 
wheel  hoe  or  the  spade  and  rake  do  all  the  work. 

PERENNIALS 

I — Armeria  maritima,  splendens:  sea  pink  or  thrift ;  flower  stems 
nine  inches  high;  any  soil;  evergreen  tvifts  of  foliage 
on  the  ground;  small  pink  flowers  in  dense  heads,  lifted 
above  the  leaves  on  wiry  stems;  blossoms  continuously 
from  early  spring  on ;  may  be  raised  from  seed. 

2 — Iheris  sempervirens :  evergreen  candytuft;  twelve  inches  high; 
any  soil ;  may  be  raised  from  seed  easily,  sown  where  it  is 
to  grow,  either  in  spring  or  early  in  the  fall. 


Vegetable  Garden  149 

ANNUALS 

I — Alyssum  maritimum,  "Little Gem":  mad-wort  or  sweet  alys- 
sum;  four  inches  high;  any  soil;  sheets  of  white  flowers 
throughout  the  summer,  fragrant ;  sow  early  where  it  is  to 
grow. 

2 — Ageratum,  "Princess  Pauline":  floss  flower;  eight  inches  high; 
any  soil ;  compact  growth,  bright  blue  flowers ;  start  indoors 
and  transplant  or  sow  outside  in  May ;  blossoms  from  early 
summer  on. 

An  edging  of  turf  eight  to  ten  inches  wide  should  always 
inclose  the  walks  unless  they  are  entirely  of  turf,  whether  a  flower 
edging  is  used  for  the  beds  also  or  not.  Back  of  this  turf  and 
at  an  even  distance  from  it  set  the  edging  plants  or  sow  the 
seed  for  them,  in  a  carefully  drawn  furrow.  Then  draw  an 
exact  line  twelve  inches  back  of  this  furrow  or  the  line  of  the 
plants,  and  bring  the  vegetables,  in  straight  and  carefully  laid 
out  rows,  just  to  this.  If  a  taller  plant  is  desired  along  the 
walk  it  will  be  necessary  to  allow  greater  space  for  it  on  the 
ground.  A  border  of  sweet  Williams,  for  instance,  will  require 
eighteen  inches  in  width  between  turf  edge  and  vegetable  line ; 
a  border  of  day  lilies  will  need  twenty-four  inches  or  more, 
and  so  on. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Garden  Structures 

ALL  the  great  gardens  of  the  world  have  countless  loitering 
^     places— some    indeed    fairly    palatial    in     themselves, 
though  only  garden  incidents — and  all  little    gardens 
may  usually,  and  certainly  should  if  possible,  have  at  least  one. 
I  know  of  no  better  and  surer  emancipation  from  the  artificial 
than  that  which  comes  from  much  lingering  in  a  garden. 

But  it  is  out  of  doors  and  away  from  doors,  out  in  the  garden 
that  we  must  go,  if  we  would  company  with  the  sweet  garden 
spirits.  They  that  dwell  imseen  among  blossoms  and  leaf  and 
branch  and  ride  swift  and  far  on  the  free  winds,  are  not  to  be 
enticed  onto  porches — nor  yet  even  up  to  a  terrace.  Only  quite 
away  from  the  rigid  walls  of  man's  daily  habitation  will  They  of 
gardens  linger — away,  and  truly  in  the  garden. 

How  many,  many  gardens  are  wasted !  How  many  gardens  are 
planned  and  planted  and  carefully  tended — ^but  never  lived  in 
by  anyone.  Indeed  the  commoner  practice  with  gardens  ranks 
with  the  old  fashion  of  "using"  the  best  room.  Carefully  shut 
up  and  darkened,  with  all  its  treasures  in  immaculate  order,  it 
may  have  been  a  source  of  complacent  satisfaction;  but  surely 
it  was  never  anything  else. 

A  garden  house,  whatever  name  we  call  it — some  call  it  a 
gazebo,  some  a  casino,  still  others  a  belvedere,  a  loggia,  a  bower, 

(ISO) 


Here  tliere  is  absoluUly  iKjlliing  left  to  be  desired;  a  retreat  at  a  distance  frum  the 
dwelling  should  afford  actual  protection  from  the  elements  or  else  be    just  an  arbor 


Such  a  seat  fulfils  the  purpose  of  a  semicircular  seat  but  is  simpler  in  construction; 
the  overhead  work  is  just  right 


Garden  Structures  151 

just  a  plain  summer  house,  or  even  a  pergola  or  an  arbor,  though 
these  latter  two  apply  only  to  roofless  structures — a  garden 
house  provides  that  definite  livableness  to  the  garden,  which  is 
needed  to  encourage  hving  in  it.  Assuring  protection  from  the 
elements,  it  invites  repose;  yet,  being  open  and  vine-draped  and 
sylvan,  it  loses  nothing  of  outdoor  redolence  in  doing  so.  It 
remains  still  a  temple  of  Pan. 

If  such  a  retreat  is  never  to  be  used  however,  it  ought  never  to 
be  built.  For  of  all  the  dismal  things  anywhere  in  the  world, 
the  deserted,  dejected,  down-at-the-heels  garden  house  is  surely 
the  most  dismal!  It  wears  the  look  and  the  air  that  a  pass6 
beauty  might  wear,  in  the  gray  dawn,  the  morning  after  a  ball. 
One  shivers  at  the  stamp  of  desolation  so  emphasized  by  con- 
trast with  what  once  was. 

A  garden  house  is  a  reasonable  project  whenever  it  is  able,  and 
only  when  it  is  able,  to  fulfil  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  built. 
This  purpose  is  to  provide  an  outdoor  sitting-room  stifficiently 
secluded  to  invite  occupation  and  to  insure  its  intimate  enjoy- 
ment ;  a  room  apart  from,  and  far  enough  distant  from,  the  dwell- 
ing to  afford  a  complete  change  and  relaxation. 

Obviously  the  circtmistances  of  every  garden  are  the  factors 
which  will  determine  independently  the  opportunity  for  a  sum- 
mer house  in  that  particular  garden.  Most  places  afford  a 
situation  that  fits,  or  may  be  made  to  fit,  the  requirements, 
but  there  are  many  of  course  that  do  not.  Where  the  limita- 
tions do  exclude  such  a  structure,  give  it  up  absolutely.  It  is 
worse  than  useless  when  it  is  crowded  in ;  it  is  absurd. 

This  is  a  simple  matter,  however — this  deciding  whether  or 
no  it  is  a  reasonable,  and  therefore  a  permissible,  member 
within  the  limits  of  a  certain  garden.  But  the  choice  of  the  sort 
of  a  structure  to  build  does  not  seem  to  be  so  simple,  if  the 


152  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

mistakes  not  infrequently  made  by  those  who  ought  to  know 
better,  are  anything  to  judge  by.  It  is  a  lamentable  fact  that 
there  is  an  amazing  lack  of  comprehension  of  true  fitness  dis- 
played in  many  pretentious  gardens.  And  until  it  is  the  rule 
for  us  to  think  first  and  think  intelligently,  I  am  afraid  that  such 
errors  will  go  on  being  made. 

The  pergola  madness  results  from  one  of  them.  Who  the 
man  was  that  perpetrated  it  in  the  first  place,  no  one  knows;  but 
over  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  it  has  spread — and  the 
end  is  not  yet.  Jacobean  mansions,  EngUsh  half-timbered  cot- 
tages, Swiss  chalets,  French  chateaus,  and  our  own  comfortable 
Colonial  manor  houses  alike  display,  with  astounding  impartial- 
ity, a  riot  of  (alleged)  Italian  pergolas,  at  front  or  back  or  sides, 
or  maybe  all  four  and  again  in  the  garden ;  to  say  nothing  of  the 
nondescript  dwellings  of  the  nondescript  class  which  have  added 
or  been  added  to,  a  pergola. 

Nothing  in  architecture  has  caught  the  popular  fancy  to  such 
a  degree  since  the  deluge  of  "  Queen  Anne"  style  which  engulfed 
the  builders  of  a  generation  ago.  And  just  as  the  good  and 
charming  Queen  Anne  domestic  architecture  became  sponsor 
in  those  days  for  dreadful  monstrosities,  little  and  big,  so  the 
lovely  pergola  of  Italy  is  to-day  responsible  for  endless  absurdities. 

Perhaps  if  the  foreign  word  were  dropped  and  the  literal 
translation  substituted,  it  would  be  possible  to  consider  these 
structures  in  a  more  rational  manner.  "Pergola"  is  literally 
"  arbor, "  "  pergula, ' '  from  which  it  is  derived,  being  "  vine  arbor. " 
Here  surely  we  gain  a  better  sense  of  relation — and  proportion. 
The  English  equivalent,  being  honest,  is  more  conducive  to 
honesty — for  who  would  build  an  "  arbor ' '  in  place  of  a  roof,  over 
a  porch?  Yet  many  have  put  "pergolas"  there;  and  as  a 
crowning  absurdity  we  hear  therefore  of  the  "pergola  roof." 


Garden  Structures  153 

Pergolas  have  no  roof  other  than  the  leafiness  of  the  vines 
that  overrtm  them.  And  even  the  cross-pieces  that  uphold 
these  vines — those  members  which  are  familiar  to  us  as  rather 
heavy  rafters,  sometimes  elaborately  shaped  at  their  overhanging 
ends — are  more  or  less  temporary  and  fragile  things. 

Nowhere  probably  is  there  a  truer  example  of  the  pergola  in 
its  honest  simplicity,  than  in  the  gardens  of  the  old  Capuchin 
monastery  at  Amalfi.  Along  the  mountain  side  these  arbors 
ranged,  tier  after  tier,  in  the  old  monkish  days — true  vine  arbors 
and  nothing  else.  Approaching  the  monastery  buildings  the 
upright  supports  became  architectural,  and  a  part  of  the  retain- 
ing wall  which  nms  along  the  steepest  part  of  the  slope ;  but  the 
long,  thin  saplings  forming  the  overhead  framework  remained 
the  same. 

Thus  the  sense  of  permanence  and  stability  prevails  in  the 
upright  work,  while  overhead  repairs  may  easily  be  made.  The 
stone  coliunns  are  hollowed  transversely  at  the  top,  to  receive 
the  saplings,  which  are  simply  laid  across  from  side  to  side. 
Now  there  is  a  wretched  little  railing  running  from  column  to 
column,  to  keep  the  hotel's  guests  from  tumbling  off  and  down 
the  mountain  side,  but  this  is  a  latter-day  "improvement." 
The  monks  grew  flowers  in  this  space.  It  is  worth  noting,  by 
the  way,  that  the  vines  are,  in  some  places,  planted  inside  the 
columns. 

So  the  good  old  monks  built  just  as  good  sense  would  prompt 
anyone  to  build.  Their  "pergolas"  are  simply  permanent, 
convenient,  and  easily  repaired  grape  arbors  carried  along  the 
hillside — architectural  only  where  they  approach  the  dwelling. 
Elsewhere  they  are  of  the  crudest,  though  at  the  same  time 
most  picturesque,  construction,  easily  managed  and  made  of  the 
most   primitive   materials.     With  their   outspread   vines  they 


154  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

furnished  a  grateful  shade  to  the  keepers  of  the  vineyard,  who 
must  labor  there  under  the  hot  Italian  sun ;  and  they  afforded  the 
best  possible  means  of  training  the  vines,  for  best  results. 

When  the  pergola  mania  seizes  a  victim,  let  him  stop  long 
enough  to  ask  himself  two  questions.  The  first  one  is:  If  it 
were  an  arbor  that  thus  possessed  my  mind,  would  I  wish  to 
build  it?  The  second  is:  Shall  it  be — or  is  it  possible  for  it  to 
be — an  immediate  attribute  of  the  house? 

If  the  first  question  meet  with  an  affirmative  answer  and  the 
second  a  negative,  then  an  architectural  treatment  will  not  be 
the  best  and  most  appropriate.  Remember  that  the  Capuchins' 
arbors  are  architectural  only  as  they  lead  off  from  the  pile  of  the 
buildings.  It  is  not,  however,  that  architectural  treatment 
should  be  applied  only  to  a  structure  that  is  an  attribute  of  the 
house — that  is  by  no  means  so.  But  architectural  treatment  of 
an  arbor — of  a  roofless,  simple,  vine  support — is  appropriate 
only  when  this  is  the  case. 

It  is  not,  either,  that  we  should  imitate  the  Capuchins;  but 
they  have  done  what  they  have  done  the  very  best  that  may  be. 
When  the  best  has  been  done,  when  simple,  straightforward 
reasons  have  been  the  guide  and  a  beautiful  result  has  been 
attained,  anything  that  goes  against  the  principle  thus  estab- 
lished will  be  lacking  in  merit  and  lacking  in  artistic  effect. 

So  much  for  the  pergola — for  the  arbor,  to  think  of  it  as  we 
should.  Words — and  we — are  such  deceivers;  we  should  be 
careful  how  we  use  them. 

A  loggia  is  architectural,  indeed  is  fairly  monumental — yet 
a  loggia  may  be  btiilt  with  perfect  propriety  in  any  part  of  a 
garden.  For  a  loggia  is  primarily  an  outdoor,  roofed,  sitting- 
room,  usually  enclosed  on  one  long  side,  and  open  on  the  other 
and  on  the  ends.     Often,  though  not  necessarily,  it  is  a  part  of 


Nowhere  is  there  as  good  an  example  of  the  true  pergola  as  the  Capuchin  ilonas- 
tery  at  Amalfi  shows:  remote  from  the  buildings  it  is  of  most  primitive  construction 


Reproduced,  by  permission,  jroni  "Archiieclur: 
Adjacent  to  the  buildings,  architectural  columns  take  the  place  of  the  sapling  supports 
but  overhead  the  vines  rest  on  precisely  the  same  support  in  one  place  as  in  another 


Garden  Structures  155 

the  house,  and  is  indeed  practically  a  porch  that  is  not  used  for 
entrance.  In  many  of  the  old  Italian  palaces  it  is  on  the  second 
floor;  but  it  may  furnish  a  garden  boundary,  and  it  is  placed 
with  delightful  effect  opposite  the  dwelling  sometimes,  across 
a  formal  garden.  Any  favorite  spot  in  the  groimds  indeed  may 
be  chosen  for  its  site.  Being  an  architectural  structure  it  should 
of  course  conform  to  the  style  of  the  buildings  on  a  place,  and 
be  as  elaborate  and  pretentious,  or  as  simple,  as  these. 

A  belvedere  is  a  garden  building  occupying  a  lofty  position, 
built  there  especially  to  command  a  fine  view.  Only  a  structure 
so  located  is  entitled  to  the  name.  A  gazebo  is  also  high  up, 
occupying  a  position  chosen  for  outlook ;  but  a  gazebo  is  usually 
part  of  a  garden  wall,  partaking  of  the  character  of  a  watch 
tower.  It  is  intended  more  as  a  place  from  which  to  look  over 
and  outside  the  walls,  rather  than  to  command  a  broad  and 
stately  sweej:)  of  landscape. 

These  therefore  require  certain  surrovmdings  and  presuppose 
certain  elements  in  the  garden  where  they  are  built.  But  a 
casino  or  a  bower — I  must  confess  a  liking  for  the  latter  old, 
deep-rooted  Anglo-Saxon  word — is  just  a  summer  pleasure 
house.  It  alone  therefore  gives  us  something  definitely  suited 
to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  gardens. 

Constructed  of  any  building  materials  that  may  be  preferred, 
it  may  follow  the  lines  of  the  house  or  not.  The  only  restraint 
put  upon  its  designer  is  the  restraint  of  good  taste — and  good 
taste  only  means  after  all ,  appropriateness.  Perhaps  the  meaning 
of  this  may  be  clearer  if  it  is  explained  that  a  little  roimd  or 
octagonal  structure,  built  of  birch  trunks  and  branches,  with  a 
shingled  roof  stained  to  match  the  house,  set  out  on  a  trim  lawn 
at  a  distance  of  thirty  feet  possibly  but  not  more  than  that  from 
the  house,  with  never  a  trace  of  vines  nor  shrubs  nor  trees  around 


156  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

it,  is  as  complete  an  example  of  bad  taste  and  inappropriateness 
as  I  believe  it  would  be  possible  to  find.  Yet  this  sort  of  thing 
is  not  tmcommon — with  perhaps  some  monstrous  unusable  and 
immovable  chairs,  made  of  the  same  raw  forest  product,  standing 
grimly  at   either  side. 

"Rustic  work"  is  only  suitable  to  the  most  primitive  sur- 
roundings. It  is  as  out  of  place  on  a  smooth-shaven  lawn  as  a 
shooting- jacket  would  be  at  a  formal  dinner.  Such  a  bmlding 
belongs  in  the  woods,  if  it  belongs  anywhere — I  am  not  sure  that 
it  does  belong  anywhere— and  its  roof  should  be  of  split  boughs 
or  sheets  of  bark,  never  of  tiles  or  shingles. 

A  simple  building,  well  proportioned,  with  a  deep  shadowing 
cornice  and  a  roof  of  not  too  steep  a  pitch,  is  always  satisfactory 
anywhere.  If  this  roof,  made  with  a  steeper  pitch,  is  of  rush 
or  straw  thatch,  the  charm  of  the  structure  is  assured  regardless. 
I  am  tempted  to  say,  of  design  and  proportion.  Of  course  this 
is  not  altogether  so;  but  clematis  and  honeysuckle  and  akebia 
will  soon  hide  defects  of  design,  leaving  the  picturesque  roof 
alone  in  view.  Such  a  structure  takes  its  place  in  the  midst  of 
greenery  as  if  it,  too,  had  grown  from  the  earth.  It  suits  any 
kind  of  house  and  grovmds,  great  or  small,  and  is  preeminently 
the  sort  of  thing  to  use  with  the  free  lines  of  landscape  or  abso- 
lutely informal   gardening. 

Luxuriant  planting  should  back  up  any  garden  house,  on  one 
side  or  another.  It  may  hide  it  indeed  from  everywhere,  yet 
leave  vistas  from  it  to  any  charming  bits  of  planting,  natural 
or  artificial.  Or  the  structure  may  be  a  part  of  the  garden 
design  and  as  such  occupy  a  position  of  comparative  prominence; 
but  even  here  it  should  be  planted  in  and  well  clothed  with  ver- 
dure as  well  as  backed  and  framed  by  it. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
Garden  Furniture  and  Accessories 

THE  garden  which  is  too  small  to  permit  the  building  of  a 
bower  within  its  boundaries  may  yet  have  a  garden  seat, 
or  several  resting  places.  No  garden  is  too  tiny  for  this. 
Let  us  therefore  examine  the  possibilities  of  garden  benches  first 
of  all. 

They  must  be  comfortable  to  sit  on,  primarily,  and  com- 
fortably placed.  This  does  not  mean  always  in  shade  however, 
for  there  are  many  days  when  to  sit  in  the  sun  is  greater  delight. 
But  they  should  be  located  where  the  most  charming  bits  are 
most  easily  seen  and  enjoyed  by  their  occupants.  Make  a 
point  too,  of  having  something  fragrant  growing  close  by — 
mint  under  foot  or  some  sweet  herb,  or  a  sweetbriar  rose  near 
at  hand^something  that  smells  sweet  perpetually.  Fragrance 
is  one  of  the  garden's  essentials,  everywhere. 

The  classic  exedra  is  of  all  forms  the  best  for  a  garden  seat. 
This  is  curving  its  entire  length,  usually  indeed  a  semicircle, 
thus  bringing  its  occupants  together  equally  or  nearly  so. 
Executed  in  stone  or  marble  it  had  an  important  place  in  the 
gardens  of  antiquity,  and  executed  in  stone,  marble,  terra-cotta 
or  wood  it  is  worthy  an  equally  important  place  in  gardens 
to-day.  Its  size  may  vary  according  to  existing  circumstances. 
Usually  it  has  a  back,  sometimes  high  but  not  always.     Thus  it 

(157) 


158  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

is  not  only  a  comfortable  seat  for  a  group,  in  that  it  brings  them 
together,  but  a  restful  and  comfortable  seat  for  the  individual. 

It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  the  charming,  old,  curved,  white- 
painted  seats  which  some  old  gardens  harbor,  were  consciously 
modeled  on  this  stone  conversation  bench  of  the  Greeks,  but 
the  same  need  furnished  the  idea  for  their  form.  The  same 
gregarious  instinct  prompted  their  making.  And  such  a  seat 
offers  naturally  the  suggestion  and  the  place  for  a  roimd  garden 
table,  with  all  the  sociable  delights  which  it  brings. 

The  two  together  need  take  up  very  Uttle  room.  A  seat 
that  is  a  complete  semicircle,  large  enough  to  seat  six  persons 
easily,  with  its  round  table  placed  on  the  center  from  which  its 
curve  is  drawn,  will  only  require  eleven  by  seven  feet.  This 
style  of  seat  may  be  cut  in  half,  if  only  half  the  size  is  desired, 
or  a  semicircle  constructed  with  a  shorter  radius.  A  radius 
of  less  than  thirty  inches,  however,  is  not  practicable,  as  it  does 
not  allow  sufficient  space  in  front  of  the  sitters.  Usually  a 
radius  of  four  feet  is  the  best  for  a  bench  to  seat  any  number 
up  to  six.  This  gives  a  pleasing  and  stifhcient  curve  to  even 
a  very  short  seat,  cut  off  at  the  quarter  circle  or  less  and 
accommodating  only  two  or  three. 

The  radius  for  any  desired  size  of  bench  is  very  easily  deter- 
mined. Allow  two  feet  along  the  inner  circumference  of  the 
seat  for  each  person  to  be  accommodated.  This  will  be  the  meas- 
ure of  half  the  circumference  of  a  circle.  One-third  of  this  will 
therefore  be  the  radius  required  to  swing  that  circle;  for  the 
diameter  is  one-third  the  circumference  and  the  radius  one-half 
the  diameter,  or  one-sixth  of  the  circumference. 

For  example,  the  number  of  persons  to  be  seated  is  six:  two 
feet  to  a  person  makes  twelve  feet,  which  must  be  the  length  of  the 
inner  edge  of  the  semicircle,  which  is  half  of  the  circumference. 


A  pool  well  placed  to  mirror  light  and  yet  reflect  the  trees  which  stand  beside  it 


'^■^^' 


This  seat  beside  a  path  commands  a  lovely  prospect  and  itself  is  a  charming  bit,  with 
the  deep  green  of  the  pine  branches  reaching  above  it  and  casting  their  shadows  upon  it 


Accessories  159 

One- third  of  this,  or  four  feet,  is  the  radius  of  the  inner  edge;  this 
is  increased  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches  according  to  the  width 
of  seat  desired,  to  give  the  Une  of  the  outer  edge  or  back  of  the 
bench.  The  table  may  be  any  size  up  to  four  feet  across,  and 
allow  ample  room  between  it  and  the  bench.  It  should  always 
stand  on  the  center,  and  the  ends  of  the  bench  should  always 
be  cut  on  a  line  drawn  from  the  center. 

Using  this  same  circle  and  cutting  it  down  so  that  only  four 
people  may  occupy  the  seat,  it  is  possible  to  use  only  seven  by 
seven  feet,  with  the  table.  Without  the  table  a  seat  this  size 
could  be  put  anywhere  that  any  ordinary  straight  seat  would  go. 

Next  to  seats — which  simply  must  not  be  omitted  from  any 
garden — I  rank  sun-dials.  These  too  ought  never  to  be  omitted, 
and  certainly  of  all  garden  furnishings  they  are,  in  one  way, 
the  most  important.  It  is  not  because  they  are  of  less  conse- 
quence than  the  garden  seat  but  because  they  are  less  likely  to 
keep  us  out-of  doors  and  in  the  garden  that  I  have  spoken  of  the 
latter  first. 

There  is  a  mystery  of  eternity  in  a  sun-dial,  and  I  will  venture 
to  say  that  no  one  who  has  dipped  ever  so  little  into  dial  lore, 
or  thought  of  dials  at  all,  has  missed  the  realization  of  it.  To 
me,  however,  it  is  not  so  much  in  the  quaint  old  mottoes  that 
adorn  the  dial  face  and  admonish  the  observer,  nor  in  all  the 
beautiful  lore  that  surrounds  dials,  as  it  is  in  the  dial's  constant 
intimacy  and  familiarity  with  the  swinging  spheres  in  space. 
It  brings  an  enfolding  sense  of  the  oneness  of  all  things  in  the 
great  march  through  eternity. 

For  this  reason  perhaps  I  have  no  patience  with  the  gloomy 
dial  mottoes,  with  the  lugubrious  warnings  that  thunder  them- 
selves at  unsuspecting  persons  who  come  to  this,  which  has  been 
so  beautifully  called  the  "garden  altar,"  to  mark  the  shadows 


i6o     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

passing.  They  belong  to  the  dark  ages  when  men  governed 
themselves  through  their  fears,  when  virtue  lay  in  gloom,  and 
when  the  fairest  hours  must  always  have  some  dismal  thought 
to  temper  them,  lest  anyone  by  some  mischance  should  be 
completely  filled  with  jo>. 

How  much  better  and  finer  is  the  thought  in  this  old  Latin 
motto : '  'Let  the  mind  know  no  twUight. "  Or  in  this  other,  which 
furnishes  a  motto  for  right  living,  "  I  count  the  bright  hours 
only. ' '     The  same  idea  is  in  the  charming  couplet : 

"  The  hours  unless  the  hours  are  bright  it  is  not  mine  to  mark ; 
I  am  the  prophet  of  the  light,  dumb  when  the  sun  is  dark. " 

And  how  happy  and  simny  is  "Amidst  ye  fioweres  I  tell  ye 
houres. "     What  a  sense  of  duty  well  and  contentedly  performed. 

The  location  of  a  dial  should  be  worthy  of  it  as  an  "altar." 
Indeed  the  garden  may  well  develop  around  it,  or  to  it,  as  its 
crowning  achievement.  A  delightful  position  for  it  is  on  the 
center  of  a  curving  seat,  in  place  of  the  table  suggested.  This 
means  that  the  seat  will  be  in  the  sun,  for  of  course  the  dial  must 
be.  But  trees  back  of  the  seat  may  give  it  partial  shelter,  and 
a  combination  of  a  seat  with  the  dial  ought  always  to  be  made. 
Put  another  seat  somewhere  else,  for  shade;  a  seat  by  a  sun-dial, 
to  use  in  the  moonlight,  is  worth  sacrificing  shade  and  a  good 
many  other  things,  to  have. 

Its  setting  is  a  thing  to  be  determined  by  circumstances  in  a 
measure,  though  I  do  not  feel  that  any  really  crude  device  for 
upholding  it  can  ever  be  very  effective.  A  thick  tree  trunk 
cut  at  the  convenient  height  may  not  be  unattractive  when 
clothed  with  ivy,  but  a  huge  stone  or  boulder  seems  far  better, 
if  a  natural  pedestal  is  desired.  The  stone  has  a  sort  of  Druid 
dignity  which  the  rough  wood  lacks.     It  ought  never  to  be  low 


simple   whit 


iiiling;  out-of-doors 


ought  to  be  liberally  furnished   with   such   as  these 


Following  the  same  lines  a  single  st-rit  nf  the '^fiiii.        : 

another  focussing  point  in  the  same  garden 


■ccupies 


Accessories  i6i 

as  some  that  I  have  seen  however,  certainly  never  lower  than  the 
height  of  a  tea  table. 

The  simpler  the  pedestal  the  better,  ordinarily.  A  straight 
ttimed  column  with  plinth  base  and  simple  square  cap,  a  square 
and  imornamented  shaft  of  concrete  drawn  in  at  the  top  ever  so 
little,  or  a  quadrangular  column  tapering  towards  the  base, 
patterned  after  the  ancient  hermae  of  the  Greeks,  are  each  of 
them  good.  A  low-growing  vine  may  be  planted  at  the  foot  of 
the  pedestal,  but  nothing  should  ever  be  allowed  to  grow  up 
and  around  it  and  obscure  it  completely.  Neither  should  any- 
thing ever  grow  about  its  base  thickly  enough  to  prevent  close 
approach  to  it.  Fragrance  here  is  most  fitting,  however — 
dense  mats  of  thyme,  mint  or  pennyroyal,  or  a  sweetbriar. 
kept  within  bounds. 

A  little  bit  of  water  somewhere  for  the  birds  is  my  third 
essential,  for  little  gardens  or  for  big.  Where  a  pool  in  the 
ground  is  out  of  the  question,  some  kind  of  small  bathing  pool 
for  them  is  still  possible.  A  large  boulder,  hollowed  into  a  basin 
deeper  at  one  end  than  at  the  other — for  tiny  birds  as  well  as 
for  the  bigger  fellows — is  the  simplest  and  in  some  places  the 
most  easily  provided;  and  a  pailful  of  water  poured  into  it 
daily,  though  a  primitive  method  of  supplying  it,  is  quite  as 
good  as  any  other.  This  daily  agitation  keeps  out  the  "wrig- 
glers ' '  too,  and  insures  freedom  from  mosquitoes,  as  far  as  their 
breeding  there  is  concerned. 

An  earth  pool  which  may  be  stocked  with  goldfish  and  sub- 
.aquatics  does  not  require  elaborate  construction,  for  it  may  be 
filled  with  the  lawn  hose  if  it  lowers  during  dry  seasons.  The 
plants  and  the  sunlight  will  keep  it  as  sweet  and  as  fresh  as  an 
aquarium  indoors. 

Fountains  are  a  delight  in  hot  weather,  but,  unless  of  very 


1 62  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

excellent  design,  they  are  dismal  things  in  winter,  minus  the 
water.  So  unless  they  can  be  very  well  done,  they  are  better 
omitted  altogether. 

Bees  are  not  furniture  exactly,  but  they  belong  in  every 
garden  where  flowers  grow.  Fruits  will  be  scarce  on  many  a  bush 
without  bee  visits,  and  vegetables  too,  within  the  kitchen  garden. 
They  are  a  little  trouble  at  swarming  time  perhaps,  but  well 
worth  it  in  the  practical  advantage  of  having  them,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  dehght  they  are  to  watch  and  study  and  ponder 
over. 

The  possibilities  of  the  lattice  are  inntunerable  and  cannot 
more  than  be  mentioned  in  a  general  way.  For  divisions  in  the 
garden,  for  blotting  out  disfiguring  objects  where  there  is  not 
space  to  plant  them  out,  and  for  insuring  the  privacy  of  tiny 
gardens,  there  is  nothing  equal  to  a  lattice.  High  board  fences 
that  are  an  eyesore  take  on  real  beauty  when  stained  a  dark  rich 
green  or  brown,  and  topped  by  a  white  painted  lattice,  half  their 
height  or  thereabouts.  And  lattices  fixed  against  a  building  are 
in  themselves  most  decorative,  as  I  have  already  pointed  out  in 
a  previous  chapter. 

Finally  we  come  to  statuary,  and  here  is  one  thing  to  be  very 
careful  about.  A  statue  has  no  excuse  for  being  unless  it  is 
excellent  in  conception — unless  it  carries  some  big  meaning. 
Abominations  in  the  shape  of  deer  and  hoionds  and  other 
"  realistic  "  animals,  which  found  their  way  somehow  into  some 
grounds  awhile  back,  are  not  likely  to  break  into  any  garden  of 
to-day,  I  trust.  But  meaningless  groups  are  almost  as  bad 
as  these  were. 

We  do  seem  to  be  somewhat  at  a  disadvantage  in  the  matter 
of  subjects,  to  be  sure,  when  we  compare  our  resources  with 
the  rich  mythology  of  the  ancients,  inspiring  as  it  did  so  many 


Accessories  163 

beautiful  pieces  of  sculpture.  But  after  all,  is  this  so?  We 
have  not  their  many  pagan  gods  to  model,  but  what  about  the 
eternal  verities  for  which  they  stood?  These,  each  and  every 
race  must  always  have,  and  must  always  go  on  representing, 
each   in    their    own   way. 

Keep  to  these  in  garden  images  rather  than  admit  the  feebly 
pictorial.  Even  a  mediocre  faun,  representing  the  spirit  of 
woods  and  dells  and  all  out-of-doors,  is  better  than  a  most 
excellently  executed  girl  tying  her  sandal,  or  boy  with  a  sliver 
in  his  foot.  A  statue  is  a  permanent  thing  and  should  repre- 
sent a  truth,  not  an  incident.  Make  this  the  test,  outdoors 
at  least :  I  find  it  a  very  satisfactory  one  for  all  places. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
Planting  and  General  Care 

THE  best  time  of  year  for  general  planting,  according  to  my 
experience,  is  autumn.  Everyone  may  not  have  found 
it  so — many  have  not,  I  know— but  that  does  not  alter 
the  fact  that  I  have  And  it  seems  to  me  perfectly  logical  that 
it  should  be  the  best  time,  except  for  certain  special  things. 

Plants  stir  in  the  spring  long  before  they  wake,  precisely  like 
a  sleeper  in  a  snug  bed,  conscious  of  a  summons  yet  not  quite 
able  to  grasp  its  meaning.  Through  all  their  tender  roots  the 
life  force  thrills  first;  then,  little  by  little,  it  mounts  until  we 
one  day  see  the  signs  and  say  the  "  sap  is  running — soon  the  buds 
will  burst" — and  spring  is  here! 

This  waking-up  time  is  a  time  of  abovmding  vigor  and,  if  it 
were  not  for  things  outside  the  plant  itself,  the  period  just  pre- 
ceding it  would  unquestionably  be  an  ideal  time  for  moving  a 
plant  into  new  quarters.  But  spring  weather  conditions  are  the 
most  uncertain  of  uncertainties — and  herein  the  danger  lies. 

Lifting  a  plant  from  the  place  where  it  has  been  growing 
deprives  it  of  countless  numbers  of  its  fine  feeding  roots ;  there- 
fore it  shuts  off  a  portion  of  its  food  supply.  New  roots  form 
rapidly  to  take  the  place  of  those  lost,  when  the  ground  is  not 
waterlogged,  and  when  it  keeps  at  an  even  temperature.  In  the 
spring,  however,  the  ground  is  more  than  likely  to  be  water- 

(164) 


Cultural  Suggestions  165 

logged,  and  it  cannot  keep  anything  like  an  even  temperature, 
with  a  blizzard  one  day.  a  thunder  storm  the  next,  and  sun  only 
half  shining  when  it  does  shine — or  else  blazing  forth  like  mid- 
summer for  a  few  hours. 

So  everything  is  unfavorable  for  a  month  or  so,  if  early  plant- 
ing is  made,  to  a  plant's  establishing  itself — that  is,  to  its  making 
new  roots  to  take  hold  upon  its  new  home.  And  if  planting  is 
delayed  until  late  spnng,  sudden  scorching  heat  may  come  and 
bum  things  up  before  the  new  roots  have  reached  sufficient 
development  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  fast-growing  leaves. 

In  the  autumn,  however,  things  are  getting  ready  to  goto 
sleep  anyway.  Activity  is  quieting  down.  The  next  year's 
buds  are  formed  and  tucked  away,  under  the  leaf  stalks  perhaps, 
or  wherever  they  belong,  and  the  season's  growth  is  ripening 
from  green  succulence  into  tough  wood.  And  the  ground  is 
warm  from  the  summer — warm  away  down  deep,  and  mellow. 
This  is  just  the  condition  most  favorable  to  the  growth  of  new 
roots,  and  plants  transplanted  at  this  season  are  in  a  state  to 
give  all  their  energies  to  root  growth.  There  is  no  call  upon 
them  from  above 

The  best  time  therefore  to  transplant  is  about  a  month  before 
they  are  actually  asleep — or  dormant — and  that  varies,  of  course, 
with  different  latitudes.  A  month  of  activity  gives  them  time 
to  take  hold  and  then  they  fall  asleep,  to  wake  up  in  the  spring 
ready  to  go  at  their  work  without  a  setback. 

Of  course  it  is  not  always  easy  nor  possible  to  time  transplant- 
ing with  such  nicety  as  this,  and  it  is  not  indeed  necessary. 
This  is  simply  the  ideal  which  the  planter  has  in  mind.  Trees 
and  shrubs  may  usually  be  moved  with  success  at  any  time  when 
the  ground  will  allow  planting,  during  the  dormant  season. 
Large  deciduous  trees  are  generally  moved  in  the  late  autumn, 


1 66     The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

but  evergreens  recover  from  the  operation  best  when  it  is  done 
in  August  or  early  September. 

The  pruning  of  deciduous  trees  at  the  time  of  planting  is 
governed  entirely  by  the  necessity  for  keeping  the  balance 
between  root  and  branch,  with  the  advantage  on  the  root  side, 
if  on  either.  If  one-third  of  the  root  system  is  lost  or  injured 
in  taking  a  plant  from  the  grovmd,  one-third  of  its  top  must 
be  sacrificed  when  it  is  put  back.  Ordinarily  all  limbs  and 
branches  may  be  shortened  equally,  but  on  trees  like  the  Lom- 
bardy  poplar,  the  single  definite  "leader"  should  not  be  cut. 
This  carries  the  tree  up  into  its  characteristic  spire-like  form, 
and  any  interference  with  it  will  impair  the  growth  sufficiently 
to  be  a  detriment  to  that  form,  in  all  likelihood.  Shorten  the 
branches  only,  on  such  a  tree. 

All  roots  that  are  broken  or  wounded  must  be  removed  with 
a  sharp,  even  cut,  before  replanting.  All  top  pruning  should 
of  course  be  done  while  the  tree  is  lying  on  the  ground  and  the 
top  within  easy  reach.  Cut  just  above  a  bud  always — prefer- 
ably a  bud  turning  away  from  the  bole  of  the  tree,  which  is 
called  an  outside  bud— and  cut  on  a  downward  slant  so  that 
the  raw  end  may  shed  water  readily. 

In  removing  an  entire  branch  from  a  tree,  at  any  time  and  for 
any  purpose,  always  cut  as  close  as  possible  to  the  branch  or 
trunk  from  which  the  branch  to  be  removed  rises;  and  always 
cut  parallel  with  that  branch  or  trunk.  Never  take  off  a  branch 
by  cutting  across  its  axis  at  right  angles  to  it,  and  at  some 
distance  from  the  trunk,  as  so  often  is  done.  This  leaves  a  stub 
over  which  the  bark  cannot  possibly  grow  and  it  will  ultimately 
die  and  carry  decay  to  the  heart  of  the  tree.  The  close,  parallel 
cut,  on  the  contrary,  heals  completely,  for  the  bark  has  only  to 
draw  together  and  cover  the  flat  surface  of  the  wound. 


Cultural  Suggestions  167 

The  planting  of  evergreens  is  always  a  more  hazardous  under- 
taking than  the  planting  of  deciduous  trees,  for  the  reason  that 
the  foliage  of  evergreens  transpires  constantly.  This  means  that 
it  is  constantly  demanding  moisture  from  the  earth,  through 
the  tree's  network  of  fibrous  roots;  and  consequently  any  injury 
to  these  roots  or  any  drying  out  of  them  is  a  death-dealing 
catastrophe. 

This  is  why  evergreens  are  always  shipped  from  nurseries  with 
an  earth  root-ball,  carefully  wrapped  and  sewed  up  in  burlap. 
Their  roots  must  never  be  vmcovered,  even  for  a  minute,  during 
the  whole  process  of  digging  up,  moving  and  setting  out  again. 

Obviously  needle-leaved  evergreens  cannot  be  pruned  without 
destroying  their  from,  therefore  every  bit  of  root  must  be  guarded 
carefully,  for  it  means  life  itself  to  them.  There  can  be  no 
cutting  away  at  tops  to  make  up  for  loss  at  roots.  Broad- 
leaved  evergreens  however,  such  as  holly,  may  be  stripped  of 
their  leaves  at  planting.  This  brings  about  the  balance  by 
reducing  the  leaf  action  until  new  root  growth  is  made,  just  as 
cutting  back  does  for  a  deciduous  tree. 

Some  broad-leaved  evergreens,  however — such  as  rhododen- 
drons and  their  family — have  their  own  special  predilections  too 
numerous  to  enter  into  in  a  general  planting  talk.  These,  by 
the  way,  are  among  the  things  best  planted  in  the  spring  accord- 
ing to  the  consensus  of  expert  opiaion. 

All  shrubs  and  trees,  whether  evergreen  or  deciduous,  must 
have  an  excavation  the  full  diameter  of  their  root-spread  made 
to  receive  them.  It  should  be  deep  enough  to  bring  the  tree 
down  into  the  ground  as  far  as  the  earth  mark  on  its  bole  above 
the  roots  shows  it  to  have  been  before ;  and  all  the  roots  should  be 
laid  carefully  in  place  by  hand,  allowing  them  to  take  the  posi- 
tion and  directions  which  they  seem  naturally  to  wish  to  assume. 


1 68  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

In  other  words  every  plant  should  go  into  the  ground  exactly  as 
it  grows — exactly  as  it  came  out  of  it,  as  nearly  as  is  possible. 
A  long  round  stick — a  broom  handle,  top  down,  is  ideal — 
should  be  used  to  tap  the  loose  earth  down  among,  and  under, 
and  around  all  the  fine  roots,  as  it  is  thrown  onto  them,  after 
placing  the  specimen.  It  should  be  closely  packed  aroiond  every 
rootlet,  so  they  may  begin  drawing  their  moisture-food  from  it  at 
once.  This  does  not  mean,  however,  that  it  requires  beating 
down  to  stony  hardness. 

A  little  water  in  the  bottom  of  the  excavation  at  the  beginning 
is  very  good,  but  guard  against  using  too  much,  as  it  is  likely  to 
cake  mud  around  the  small  roots  and  strangle  them.  Pour  on 
half  a  pailful  of  water  when  the  hole  is  partly  filled  in  and  let  it 
settle  completely  into  the  ground  before  finishing  the  work. 
This  may  take  some  little  time,  but  give  it  as  long  as  necessary. 
It  works  the  earth  against  the  roots  as  no  amoimt  of  tamping 
can — and  when  it  has  finally  disappeared  and  the  rest  of  the  loose 
dirt  is  thrown  in  and  firmed  by  tramping,  you  may  feel  sure  that 
every  root  is  pretty  comfortably  fixed. 

Mulching  is  essential  for  all  autumn-planted  things,  and  herein 
lies  the  secret  of  failure  when  autumn  planting  fails,  invariably. 
The  heavy  winter  mulch  must  never  be  applied  until  the  ground 
has  frozen;  and  then  it  must  be  applied  at  once,  six  to  ten  inches 
deep.  The  object  of  it  is  to  hold  the  cold  in  by  holding  the 
warmth  out,  and  save  the  killing  alternation  of  frost  and  thaw. 
Remove  it  in  the  spring  when  danger  of  deep  freezing  is  past. 

Pruning  of  trees  other  than  the  shortening  done  at  planting 
time,  should  be  done  just  as  the  sap  starts  in  the  spring.  With 
flowering  shrubs  it  is  usually  better  to  wait  until  just  after  they 
have  finished  flowering,  for  many  bear  their  blossoms  on  wood 
of  the  previous  season's  growth.     If  this  were  cut  away  all  the 


Cultural  Suggestions  169 

bloom  of  the  year  would  go  with  it.  By  waiting  vintil  the  blos- 
soming period  is  over,  however,  one  is  sure  of  being  on  the  safe 
side. 

The  formation  of  a  lawn  is  so  largely  a  matter  of  good  pure 
lawn  seed,  and  keeping  out  the  weeds,  that  it  does  not  seem 
necessary  to  say  much  about  it  here.  Special  mixtures  of  seed 
for  various  places,  combined  to  meet  special  conditions,  are  pre- 
pared by  the  best  seedsmen  and  are  usually  what  they  claim  to 
be.  A  goodly  proportion  of  white  clover  is,  to  my  mind,  always 
desirable,  for  the  tiny  blossoms,  strewn  star-like  in  the  green, 
are  lovely,  and  its  leaf  form  gives  a  depth  and  quality  of  color 
to  a  lawn  that  is  unrivalled. 

Ground  must  be  carefully  prepared  and  should  be  of  as  even 
a  texture  and  quality  as  possible.  This  is  much  more  important 
than  that  it  should  be  rich.  Any  soil  will  grow  grass  if  the  right 
kind  of  seed  is  chosen,  and  it  is  really  better  if  not  extremely  rich. 
Strong  sure  growth  rather  than  quick  and  luxuriant  growth,  is 
the  aim  in  building  up  a  lawn.  Sow  the  seed  any  time  in  the 
spring  up  to  about  the  tenth  of  May.  Later  sowings  than  this 
are  likely  to  bum  away,  if  they  ever  come  up  at  all.  It  is  well, 
on  a  newly  made  lawn,  to  sow  again  lightly  between  the  first 
and  middle  of  September,  which  gives  an  opportimity  for  good 
growth  before  winter  comes,  and  fills  out  bare  spots. 

Weeds  may  always  be  expected  in  a  newly  made  lawn.  They 
simply  must  be  fought,  tooth  and  nail,  iintil  a  strong  stand  of 
grass  is  established.  Weed  seeds  are  said  to  lie  dormant  down 
in  the  earth  for  years ;  and  it  certainly  seems  as  if  they  did  lurk 
aroimd  and  wait  the  opportimity  to  spoil  things.  The  opera- 
tions of  grading  and  working  the  soil  of  course  bring  them  up  to 
the  surface  where  they  can  germinate. 

Some  of  the  most  troublesome  weeds,  however,  are  fortunately 


lyo  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

annuals;  if  they  are  not  allowed  to  go  to  seed,  the  task  of  getting 
rid  of  them  is  therefore  greatly  reduced.  But  everything  that 
it  is  possible  to  get  hold  of  should  be  pulled  up  by  the  roots  as 
well — crab  grass  and  caterpillar  grass  will  come  out  beautifully 
after  a  rain,  in  great  thick  mats — for  many  times  these  unde- 
sirables spread  from  the  roots  as  well  as  from  their  seeds  above 
ground.  And  some  go  so  far  as  to  take  root  at  the  nodes  of 
every  branch,  too;  crab  grass  is  one  of  these. 

Do  not  fertilize  with  manure  if  you  hope  ever  to  get  rid  of 
weeds.  I  have  known  many  lawns  to  be  ruined  by  one  winter 
mulch.  Rag  weed  and  plantain  are  two  of  the  most  persistent 
of  lawn  enemies,  and  seeds  of  both  are  present  by  the  million 
in  stable  manure.  They  germinate  in  a  twinkling  and  crowd 
everything  else  off  the  field  with  the  advent  of  spring. 

Watering  the  lawn,  and  plants  generally,  is  a  problem  that 
sometimes  gives  the  planter  much  concern,  if  he  has  not  had 
much  experience.  Ordinarily  it  is  folly  to  undertake  hand 
watering — or  hose  watering  either,  for  that  matter — for  it  is  so 
nearly  a  complete  failure,  as  far  as  actually  giving  the  plants 
any  help  is  concerned,  that  it  cannot  pass  as  even  a  fraction  of 
a  success.  Plants  need  water  where  a  hose  can  never  put  it- 
down  at  their  fine  and  hair-hke  feeding  roots.  A  deluge  above 
ground  is  of  no  use  to  them  except  as  it  sinks  in  and  reaches  these 
roots. 

It  seems  at  first  thought  that  enough  water  poured  on  top  of 
the  ground,  must  sink  down  to  them ;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  it 
sinks  in  but  a  very  little  bit  before  it  is  absorbed,  by  capillary 
force,  through  the  top  soil,  spreading  out  mushroom  fashion 
instead  of  going  down.  The  grass  roots  around  a  tree  get  the 
benefit,  not  the  tree ;  weeds  get  the  benefit  not  the  deep-rooted 
things  that  are  worth  while. 


Cultural  Suggestions  171 

When  it  rains  all  over  the  ground,  this  spread  out  absorption 
is  of  course  not  possible.  The  surface  being  wet  all  over,  water 
must  go  down — which  makes  the  difiference  between  real  rain 
and  the  make-believe  rain  sprayed  from  the  end  of  a  hose.  Give 
up  the  thought  of  watering  anything — unless  it  may  be  some 
especial  thing  that  according  to  its  cultural  directions  does 
require  watering,  and  turn  attention  to  tilling.  This  is  the  great 
conserver  of  moisture.  The  garden  that  is  well  tilled  will  never 
suffer  during  any  ordinary  drought. 

It  is  as  old  as  the  everlasting  hills,  that  phrase  "tilling  the 
soil, ' '  yet  it  is  only  lately  that  there  has  been  a  general  reawaken- 
ing to  the  great  importance  of  the  operation  thus  expressed. 
Thorough  tillage  means  ground  surface  always  loosened.  This 
provides  a  Uttle  blanket  of  earth  through  which  the  sun  cannot 
draw  the  precious  water  back  up  again,  after  the  earth  has  drunk 
its  fill,  and  the  rain  has  ceased,  and  he  has  come  out  to  lord  it 
over  everything  once  more.  For  that  is  what  happens ;  the  rain 
comes  down  and  the  parched  earth  takes  it  in  like  a  sponge, 
and  it  sinks  down  deeper  and  deeper,  as  long  as  it  goes  on  raining. 
After  weeks  of  rain  the  ground  is  wet  to  a  great  depth. 

As  soon  as  the  rain  is  over,  however,  and  the  sun  begins  to 
shine,  the  contrary  movement  of  the  moisture  at  once  begins. 
First  that  at  the  top  moves  up  and  off  into  the  atmosphere, 
under  the  sun's  vital  pull;  then  that  that  is  lower  down  feels  the 
force,  and  so  on  imtil  every  bit  of  moisture  from  the  deepest 
part  has  traveled  back  up  to  the  surface  and  off  again — every 
bit  that  is,  that  has  not  run  away  in  springs  and  streams  to  the 
rivers  and  the  sea. 

The  only  thing  in  the  world  that  will  stop  this  upward  move- 
ment is  tillage.  Tillage  does  it  because  it  moves  the  upper 
particles  of  earth  so  far  apart  that  capillary  attraction  cannot 


172  The  Landscape  Gardening  Book 

act  and  consequently  "when  these  loose  particles  are  themselves 
pumped  dry,  the  moisture  below  is  protected  by  them.  It  is  a 
very  pretty  little  process — one  among  a  thousand  others  so  inter- 
esting and  wonderful,  when  one  stops  to  examine  them,  that  the 
greatest  wonder  is  the  little  comment  they  provoke. 

Garden  pests  I  am  not  going  to  talk  about.  They  are  too 
specialized  to  have  any  place  here — and  space  is  limited.  But 
I  believe  they  will  never  prove  as  bad  as  apprehension  paints 
them,  if  they  are  dealt  with  in  the  right  way.  Each  state  has 
its  agricultural  station  where  they  will  tell  an  inquirer  very 
freely  and  fully  just  what  to  do  for  the  special  bug  that  is 
a-ravaging.  The  shrubs  and  trees  included  in  the  lists  recom- 
mended are  all  exceptionally  free  from  such  enemies  and  will 
withstand  attack,  should  it  be  made,  better  than  many  others. 

Aphids  I  am  tempted  to  give  a  paragraph,  however — I 
abominate  them  so  myself — and  they  are  so  common.  They  are 
the  odious  little  things,  soft-bodied,  sometimes  winged  and 
sometimes  not,  which  appear  by  the  tens  of  thousands,  over 
night,  on  almost  any  plant  they  may  take  a  notion  to.  Some 
are  tiny,  some  are  giants,  and  some  are  middle  size — that  is, 
as  aphids.  And  all  sizes  hobnob  together  and  crowd  and  push 
each  other  on  leaves  or  along  branches  until  one  wonders  how 
there  can  be  so  many  of  anything  in  the  world.  Sometimes  they 
are  green,  sometimes  blue-black,  sometimes  deep  purple-red — 
indeed  they  are  resourceful  as  to  color  schemes,  for  they  dye 
themselves,  from  the  inside,  with  the  juices  of  the  plant  they  feed 
upon. 

By  this  you  will  know  that  they  belong  to  the  vampire  class 
of  creation — they  are  sucking  insects  and  not  biters.  They  must 
be  treated  from  the  outside  therefore,  for  nothing  put  onto  the 
surface  of  a  leaf  will  reach  their  interiors,  as  their  bills  are  pushed 


Cultural  Suggestions  173 

away  down  into  the  plant's  tender  tissues,  pumping  at  its  life 
fluids.  But  common  soapsuds  will  kill  them,  happily.  It  may 
take  a  lot  of  it  and  the  task  of  spraying  it  onto  them  is  by  no 
means  an  easy  one,  for  they  tuck  themselves  craftily  away 
underneath  leaves,  which  then  curl  around  them  and  make 
regular  little  tents,  shedding  soapsuds  as  well  as  rain. 

All  plants  are  liable  to  suffer  from  the  depredations  of  these 
creatures,  They  are  indeed  the  commonest  of  the  minor  insects, 
living  alike  on  a  willow  tree  sprig  or  a  nasturtium  flower,  a  rose 
bush  or  a  lettuce  head.  Some  things  seem  to  be  ever  free  from 
them,  but  I  always  have  a  haunting  sense  of  "no  telling" — 
they  may  be  almost  anywhere  next  time  one  looks.  The  main 
thing  is  just  to  look ;  getting  rid  of  them  is  not  really  hard. 

It  should  be  done  promptly,  however,  and  thoroughly,  for  they 
soon  take  all  the  life  from  the  thing  they  attack.  Use  white 
Castile  or  Ivory  soap,  pour  on  boiling  water  and  work  up  a 
strong  foam,  then  cool  until  the  hands  can  be  borne  in  it 
comfortably  and  use  at  once.  Spray  twice,  on  successive  days 
and  then  watch  and  spray  again  after  a  day  or  two  perhaps. 
A  solitary  individual  remaining  will  mean  a  bush  alive  with 
them  again  within  an   tmbelievably   short   time. 

As  a  last  word,  let  me  caution  all  who  buy  plants  to  buy  of 
only  the  recognized  first-class  nurserymen.  Money  is  wasted 
when  put  into  plants  from  any  but  the  very  best  stock ;  care  of 
the  best  stock  is  expensive  and  good  plants  cannot  therefore 
be  produced  at  cheap  rates.  It  is  better  to  buy  less,  if  necessary — 
to  extend  the  planting  of  a  place  over  two  or  three  years  or  more — 
than  to  buy  inferior  specimens,  whether  the  inferiority  is  in  size 
or  quality.  Make  a  point  too  of  buying  always  from  a  nursery 
north,  rather  than  south,  of  your  own  latitude. 


INDEX 


Abies,  103 

Accessories,  157 

Acer,  50,  90,  91,  92,  93,  9S 

ActcBa,  26 

Adiantum,  19 

Adonis,  128 

Aesculns,  93 

African   daisy,  131 

Ageratum,  149 

Akebia,  59 

Alder,  23,  117,  139 

Almond,  116 

Alnus,  23,  117,  139 

Alpines,  8 

AlthcBa,  129 

Alum  root,  27 

Alyssum,  149 

Amelanchier ,  19 

Ampelopsis,  10,  11,  57,  58,  60 

Amygdalus,  116 

Anacharis,  25 

Andromeda,  61 

Anemone,  18,  26 

Annual,  125,  130,  149 

Aphid,  172 

Appalachian  tea,  142 

Aquatics,  23 

Aqiiilegia,  17 

Arahis,  13 

Arbor,  77,  83,  151,  152,  154 

Arbovitae,  36,  37,  38,  65,  105 

Arch,  40,  82,  83,  85,  126 

Arctostaphylos,  16 

Arctotis,  131 

Armcria,  148 

Arrowwood,  142 

Arum,  23 

Asarum,  19 


Asclepias,  18 
Ash,  70,  96 
Aster,  19,  123,  130 
Azalea,  23 

Baby's  breath,  130 

Bachelor's  buttons,  131 

Bamboo,  7 

Baneberry,  26 

Barberry,  20,  49,  60,  78,  139,  142 

Bearberry,  16 

Beauty  fruit,  116 

Beech,  36,  84,  90,  91 

Bees,  162 

Beetleweed,  15 

Belvedere,  150,  155 

Benzoin,  117 

Berbcris,  20,  49,  60,  78,  142 

Betula,  70,  93,  95,  96,  97 

Bignonia,  54,  60 

Birch,  70,  93,  95,  96,  97 

Bird  bath,  125 

Bird  cherry,  97 

Bird's  eye,  128 

Bishop's  cap,  15 

Black  alder,  23 

Black  haw,  71 

Bloodroot,  18 

Bluebell,  16 

Blue  bottle,  131 

Blue  spruce,  loi 

Bluet,  131 

Bog,  6,  20,  96 

Bog  garden,  9 

Boltonia,  130 

Border,  122 

Boston  ivy,  57,  58 

Boundaries,  73 


174 


Bower,  150,  155 

Boxwood.  12,  37,  38,  39,  104 

Brascnia,  24 

Buddlea,  27 

Buddleia,  27 

Bugbane,  27 

Bulbs,  125,  133 

Bunchberr>',  26,  75  (see  Cornel) 

Butterfly  weed,  18 

Buttonbush,  23 

Buxus,  37,  38,  39,  104 

Cahomba,  25 

Calendula,  131 

Callicarpa,  116 

Calopogon,  22 

Caltha,  21 

Calycanthiis,  ii'j 

Campanula,  16 

Camptosorus,  15 

Candytuft,  131,  148 

Cardinal  flower,  21 

Care,  general  garden,  164 

Carolina  allspice,  117 

Carpyiniis,  84 

Caryopteris,  28 

Casino,  150,  155 

Castanea,  90 

Catalpa,  39,  40,  93 

Catchfly,  14 

Ceanothus,  28 

Cedar,  17,  37,  65,  102,  103 

Celtis,  96 

Centaurea,  131 

Cephalanthiis,  23 

Cercis,  85 

ChamcBcyparis,  105 

Chamomile  (false),  130 

Cherry,  95,  97 

Chestnut,  90 

Chokeberr}s  22 

Chrysanthemum,  26,  50,  108,  129 


Cimicijuga,  27 

Clematis,  57,  59,  60,  129 

Cleome,  132 

Clethra,  20,  117 

Climbers,  52,  53,  54 

Cockspur  thorn,  78 

Coltsfoot,  15 

Columbine,  18 

Columnar  forms,  37,  38 

Comptonia,  16 

Convolvulus,  54,  78 

Conifer,  65,  98 

Coral  bells,  27 

Coreopsis,  108 

Cornel,  10,  26,  28,  50,  71,  84,  139, 

142  (dogwood) 
Cornus,  26,  28,  50,  71,  84,  139,  142 

(dogwood) 
Cowslip  (American),  18 
Cranberry,  20 
Cranesbill,  14 
Crataegus,  78 
Crimson  giory  vine,  85 
Ciipiressiis,  105 
Cut-and-come-again,  132 
Cyclamen  (American),  18 
Cypress,  38 
Cypripedium,  22 

Dahlia,  108 

Daisy,  123,  129,  131 

Damask  violet,  26 

Dame's  rocket,  26 

Daphne,  16,  49 

Day  lily,  26 

Deciduous,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40,  65. 

68,  86,  104 
Delphinium,  25,  129,  130 
Deutzia,  28,  49,  50,  115 
Dianthus,  25 
Dicksonia,  17 
Diervilla,  28,  50,  71,  115 


175 


Digitalis,  27,  129 
Dodocathcon,  18 
Dogwood,  28,  71  (see  Cornel) 
Driveway,  41,  42,  49 

Edging,  37,  148 

Elder,  10,  20,  117,  123 

Eleagnus,  27 

Elm,  84,  93 

English  ivy,  57,  58 

Entrance,  41,  46,  80 

Euonymous,  58,  139 

Evergreen,  34,  35-37.  38.  39.  4°.  65, 

68,  98,  105,  140,  167 
Exedra,  157 

Fagus,  36 

False  chamomile,  130 

Fence,  77,  82 

Ferns,  6,  11,  15,  17,  19,  21 

Field  work,  iii 

Fir,  103 

Floating  heart,  24 

Floss  flower,  149 

Flower  bed,  120 

Flowering  hedge,  78 

Flowers,  118,  125,  126 

Formal  garden,  7,  30,  31 

Forsythia,  27,  51,  54,  60,  70,  71,  115 

Fountain,  162 

Foxglove,  27, 129 

Fragrance,  116, 157 

Fraxitms,  96 

Funkia,  130 

Furniture,  157 

Galanthus,  133 

Galax,  15 

Garden,  i,  2,  29,  125,  126,  135 

Garden  furniture,  157 

Garden  house,  150 

Garden  structure,  150    . 


Garland  flower,  16 

Gate,  82,  83 

Gateway,  41.  80 

Gayfeather,  18 

Gazebo,  151,  155 

General  care,  164 

Gentian,  15 

Gentiana,  15,  22 

Geranium,  14 

Ginger,  19 

Globe  forms,  35,  39 

Golden  bells,  27,  51,  60,  70,  71,  115 

Goldenrod,  123 

Goldfish,  10 

Grape,  54 

Gypsophila,  130 

Habeneria,  22 

Hackberry,  96 

Hackmatack,  96 

Harebell,  16 

Hawthorn,  78 

Hedera,  57,  58 

Hedge,  35,  65,  78,  84,  140 

Helianthemtim,  14 

Hellebore,  22 

Hellonias,  21 

Hemerocallis,  26 

Hemlock,  35,  38,  64,  65,  70,  103 

Herbaceous  plants  (see  Perennials) 

Hesperis,  26 

Heuchera,  27 

Hibiscus,  7,  21,  28,  70,  79,  lis 

Hillside,  11 

Hollyhock,  129 

Honeysuckle,  23,  50,  57,  60,  71,  78, 

85.  "5 

Hornbeam,  84 

Hydrangea,  51,  79,  116 
Hypericum,  16,  115 

Iberis,  131,  148 
176 


Ilex,  23 

Indian  currant,  28,  139 
Indian  poke,  22 
nsects,  172 
Iris,  6,  21,  25,  123 
Ivy,  10,  54,  57,  58 

Jack-in-the-pulpit,  11 
Judas  tree,  84,  85 
Juneberry,  19 
Juniper,  17,  37 
Juniperus,  17,  37,  102    105 

Labrador  tea,  22 

Lady's  slipper,  22 

Larch,  96 

Larix,  96 

Larkspur,  25,    129,    130 

Lattice,  82,  162 

Lawn,  169 

Layering,  78 

Ledum,  22 

Lemon  lily,  26 

Liatris,  18 

Ligustrum,  28,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40,  64, 

70 
Lilac,  50,  79,  115  (see  Syringa) 
Lily,  26,  130 

Lily-of-the-valley  shrub,  61 
Limnanthetniim,  24 
Linden,  95 
Liqiiidambar ,  90 
Lobelia,  21 
Locust,  96 

Loggia,  125,  150,  154 
Loniccra,  50,  57,  60,  71,  78,  85,  115 
Louse  (see  Aphid) 
Lupine,  128 
Lupinus,  128 
Lycium,  54 

Madwort,  149 


Maidenhair  fern,  19 

Maple,  50,  90,  91,  92,  95 

Marigold,  21,  131 

Marshmallow,  7,  21,  123 

Marsh  marigold,  21 

Matrimony  vine,  54 

Matthiola,  132 

Meadowsweet,  123 

Mezereon  pink,  49 

Mitclla,  15 

Mitrewort,  15 

Mock  orange,  117  (see  Philadelphus) 

Morning  glory,  54,  78 

Mosses,  8 

Moss  pink,  17 

Mountain  ash,  70 

Mulch,  168 

Narcissus,  134 
Naturalizing,  133 
Nettle  tree,  96 
New  Jersey  tea,  28 
Niche,  40 
Nymphcca,  24 

Oak,  90, 96, 97 
Orchid,  6,  22 
Ornitlwgahim,  134 
Osmnnda,  2 1 

Paeonia,  128 

Papaver,  13,  132 

Peltaiidra,  23 

Peony,  128 

Pepperbush,  20 

Perennials,  12,  13  to  19,  21  to  27, 

128,  148 
Pergola,  151,  152,  153 
Philadelphus,  117   (mock  orange) 
Phlox,  17,  128,  132 
Picea,  102,  105,  106 
Pickerel  weed,  24 


177 


Pieris,  6i 

Pin  cherry,  97 

Pine,  68,  99,  102,  105,  106 

Pink,  17,  49 

Pinon,  98 

Pinus,  68,  99,  102,  105,  106 

Pitcher  plant,  6,  21 

Plan,  46,  47,  63,  68,  69,  89,  112, 

116,  125,  126, 147 
Plantain  lily,  131 
Planting,  47,  68,  112,  116,  164 
Plant  louse  (see  Aphid) 
Plash,  76 

Pleach,  40,  76,  83,  84 
Pleurisy  root,  18 
Poison  ivy,  11 
Pondetcria,  24 
Pool,  9,  93,  161 
Poplar,  37,  70,  89,  95 
Poppy,  13,  132 
Populus,  37,  70 
Pot  marigold,  131 
Privet,  28,  36,  37,  38,   39,  40,  64, 

70,  84,  140 
Protection,  136 
Pruning,  35,  166,  168 
Prunus,  95,  97,  116 
Pyramid  forms,  35,  38 
Pyrus,  22 

Quercus,  90,  96,  97 

Ragged  sailor,  131 
Ramblers,  64 
Red-bud,  84,  85 
Red  osier,  142 
Retinas pora,  38 
Rhododendron,  103 
Rhus,  10,  16,  20,  117 
Rhus  toxicodendron,  11 
Road,  41 
Robinia,  96 


Rock  cress,  13 

Rockfoil,  15 

Rocky  land,  8,  13 

Rock  plants,  8 

Rock  rose,  14 

Rosa,  23,  27,  51,  57,  64,  79,  85,  141 

Rose,  23,  27,  51,  54,  57,  64,  79,  85, 

108, 137, 139,  141 
Rose  mallow,  7,21 
Rose  of  Sharon,  28,  70,  79,  115 
Rowan  tree,  70 
Rustic  work,  156 

Salix,  84 

Satnbucus,  10,  20,  117 

San  guinea,  18 

Saponaria,  18 

Sarracenia,  21 

Saxifraga,  15 

Saxifrage,  15 

Scilla,  133 

Screen,  62,  63 

Sea  pink,  148 

Seat,  126,  157 

Sedmn,  14,  19 

Sequoia,  138 

Service  berry,  19 

Shadbush,  19 

Shade,  15,  18,  21,  26,  28,  49,  86,  88, 

92,  93,  94,  104 
Shadow,  89,  92,  94,  104 
Shasta  daisy,  129 
Shooting  star,  18 
Shrubbery,  log,  112 
Shrubs,  16,  19,  22,  27,  28,  69,  70, 

107,  lis,  141 
Silene,  14 
Silver  thorn,  27 
Smilacina,  19 
Snowberry,  61,  139 
Snowdrop,  133 
Soap  wort,  18 


178 


Soil,  poor,  9,  17,  95,  105 

Soil,  rocky,  79,  106 

Soil,  wet,  96,  105 

Solidago,  123 

Solomon's  seal,  19 

Sorbiis,  22,  70 

Specimens,  37 

Spice  bush,  117 

Spider  flower,  132 

SpircEa,  28,  51,  71,  79,  123 

Spruce,  65,  70,  loi,  102,  105,  106 

Squills,  133 

Stagbush,  71 

Standard  fomis,  35,  39 

Star  of  Bethlehem,  134 

Statuar^^  125,  162 

Stepping  stones,  48 

St.  John's  wort,  16,  115 

Stocks,  132 

Stonecrop,  14,  19 

Stony  land,  9,  17 

Strawberry  shrub,  117 

Structures,  150 

Stud  pink,  21 

Style,  29 

Sub-aquatic,  25 

Suburban,  25,  46 

Sumach,  10,  16,  20,  117 

Siunmer  house,  151 

Sun  (plants  for) ,  13,  17,  21,  25,  27, 

SO 
Stm-dial,  125,  126,  159,  160 

Sun  rose,  14 

Swallow  wort,  18 

Swamp  pink,  21 

Sweet  fern,  16 

Sweet  gum,  90 

Sweet  pea,  78 

Sweet  pepperbush,  117 

Sweet-scented  plants,  116,  157 

Sweet  shrub,  117 

Sweet  William,  25,  149 


Symphoricarpos,  28,  61 
Syringa,  50,  79,  115   (Lilac) 

Table,  158 

Tamarack,  96 

Tecoma,  54,  60 

Terrace,  11 

Thrift,  148 

Thorn,  78 

Thuya,  36,  37,  38,  39,  40,  105 

Tilia,  95 

Tillage,  171 

Transplanting,  165,  167 

Trees,  68,  70.  86,  93,  95,  96,  98 

Trellis,  55.  77.  82 

Trillium,  6 

Trumpet  creeper,  54,  60 

Tsuga,  35,  38,  40,  70,  103. 

Ultnus,  84,  93 
Uncleared  land,  10 

Vegetable  garden ,  143 

Verairum,  22 

Viburnittn,  10,  20,  39,  71,  116,  139, 

142 
Vines,  52,  53,  55,  58,  85 
Virginia  creeper,  10 
Virgin's  bower,  57,  59,  129 
Vista,  62 
Vitis,  54,  59,  85 

Walk,  41,  42,  43,  46,  49 
Walking  leaf,  15 
Wall,  77 

Washington  grass,  25 
Water  arum,  23 
Watering,  170 
Water  lily,  24 
Water  shield,  24 
Waterweed,  25 
Wayfaring  tree,  116 


179 


Weeds,  169 

Weigela,  28,  50,  71,  115 

Wild  cherry,  95,  97 

Wild  flowers,  4 

Wild  garden,  7 

Wild  ginger,  19 

Wild  growth,  19,  75,  122 

Willow,  84 

Windflower,  18,  36 


Winter,  135 
Winterberry,  23 
Winter  garden,  140 
Winter  protection,  136 
Wistaria,  54,  57,  58 
Witherod,  142 
Woodbine,  10,  11 
Wych  elm,  84 


THE  LISnARY  OF  THE 

JAN    7  1S33 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNOiS. 


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^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBAN* 


3  0112  052509772 


*  1 


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^z'*-.^ 


^^f< 


-r. 


^. 


